Trapped in a Bottle
by AnimeSiren
Summary: Rogue needs to find herself, and the mutant world needs to find itself. With a Mutant Bill brewing there can be no more 'X-Men' or 'Brotherhood.' There is only 'Mutant.' There will be new allies, but there will also be new battles. ROMY KIOTR JONDA. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter One**

_Enjoy_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men, characters or original plot._

**X-_X-_X**

The park was lush and green.

The sky was sunny and blue.

And the birds were chirping.

It, the utter irony and unchecked superfluous arrogance of it, depressed Rogue.

She had decided to try and clear her head by walking in the park, which in retrospect the idea to do so should have headed her off to its less than desired ends. So far it wasn't working very well. Her foul mood worsened every time she passed a mother pushing a stroller, or a couple embracing. She knew there was a good chance she would never have that. The professor was nice, saying it would be only a matter of time before she learned control. But she knew it was all in vain.

Most people tended avoided her, even a few at the mansion. They would make excuses to leave the room, or make sure to sit far away from her. The only people she really had were Kitty, Kurt, and Logan.

Even though most times she found Kitty's blabbering annoying she couldn't help the fact that she was her best friend. The whole 'closeness' was part of the reason she was out of the mansion. As Scott had proposed to Jean, that morning, the mansion had been bustling with activity, Kitty was even gossiping about it.

She had long let go to the premature crush she's had on the vigilant team leader, but the fact that it was his happiness with Jean that had piqued her foul mood only served to make it worse. Rogue was a member of the team—she knew that. Rogue was respected—she knew that. She didn't know if she'd ever be loved, or be part of a family home, or be able to simply be a mutant out in the open.

"Shoulda' expected it," she murmured, still reflecting on the morning's engagement. She sat herself in front of Bayville's version of the Trevi Fountain, content to let herself squander time away in a rarely used corner of Bayville Community Park.

With the day's beginning prospects she should have been prepared for the fact that it was going to get worse.

"Why _bonjour_, _chere_," called (in her opinion) a loud, annoying and easily recognizable voice.

It was the Cajun Snake Charmer, none other than Remy LeBeau.

"What do ya' want?" bit out Rogue, standing in a hurry, she wasn't going to be caught unawares by an Acolyte. She knew that given the choice any other X-Men would have been attacking the enemy by now, even though at the moment she didn't want to feel like an X-Man.

"Is it too much fo' Gambit to see his _chere_?" he sat down on the bench, in her previously vacated spot; she could see the annoyingly arrogant Cheshire grin on his face, and felt it inflame her anger even more. She stepped closer to him with the sole intent to tell the man off once and for all.

"Let's get one thing straight!" Rogue said, sending a glare right at the Cajun "Ah am not your 'chere,' and did ya' forget the lil' fact that were enemies? Ah do not take kindly to being forced on your company in public."

Remy could only grin. Her accent was really picking up, which meant she was angry. But oh my was she pretty when she was angry! She was a southern belle, through and through.

"Oh 'course y' Gambit's _chere_, _chere_," he exclaimed. Trying to look as though she had just delivered him the biggest shock of his life, his grin only got bigger "Y' know we only be enemies on the battlefield."

"Ya' know we're enemies no matter where we are!" Rogue nearly bellowed, casting a glance around the park and reminding herself that this was not the place to be recognized as a Xavier mutant. Her face blotched red in her anger. "Never mind, Ah don't have time fo' this, just tell me what ya' want and be on your swampy little way!"

"Gambit just wanna' ask yo' on a date, _chere_," he was full out smiling now. Even if he got hit it would be worth it, getting Rogue this mad.

They may be enemies in name, but Magneto was long gone, and it _had_ been a few months since the Rogue had sought to attack him for any of his advances. With the Acolytes still in town there hadn't been any mutant mischief, a surprise perhaps even to the Acolytes themselves.

An odd look over took Rogue's face for a moment, and Gambit was half concerned that his self proclaimed _chere_ was going to be sick. Her color returned, and her mouth opened, the next moment.

"Sure, Ah'll go with ya,' swamp rat," Her look hardened immediately. It may have been the fact that her loneliness chose that day to pique itself, or it may have been the childish satisfaction she's garner should anyone fine out, but she was truly just as surprised at her omission as he was. She quickly tried to retain some of her usual bluster. "But ya' better not try any funny business! And don't let this go to ya' head this is the only one!"

Meanwhile Remy truly did contemplate swooning like in a romance film, just for a moment, never before in any of his attempts had she agreed of her own volition. The last time they were able to spend an extended amount of time together he had had to kidnap her to make it work!

"Gambit wouldn't dream o' it, _chere_," his smirk was back in place now, "But where would y' like t' go?"

"Ah don't care!" she couldn't believe she said yes. Well, she thought, she said sure not yes, but what's the difference? "Just be at the Mansion at eight, Logan goes drinking about then, and stay outta' sight!"

Gambit watched her storm out of the park with a smile on his face. She had her head up, forcefully retaining all of her dignity. 'She said yes!' he thought, and then spoke out loud.

"Dis might not be da o'ly date, _chere_," If there was a man that could show a single minded determination after being rejected by the same woman so many times it was a born and bred New Orleans boy.

X-_X-_X

Rogue was a rebel.

Rogue was a loner.

Rogue was _not_ a fashion consultant.

She truly had done the unthinkable. She had gone through every piece of clothing in her dresser. Why? For an outfit to wear on a date with…that no good Cajun snake charmer!

It irked her to no end that she was frustrated about clothing for a meeting that she had already regretted agreeing to. She wasn't one of those people she criticized, why did she think she even needed to bother with specific dressing?

Then something that, by God, she did not want to happen happened: Katherine Pryde phased through the door to their room, where she wasn't supposed to be for at least another half hour.

"Rogue?" said Kitty. A grin was weaving its way up her face, spreading out to nearly touching her ears.

"Ya'?" Rogue said a feeling of reluctance creeping up on her. She cast a glance back to her scattered clothing, there was nothing like getting caught red handed.

"Are you, like, going on a date?" Kitty finished phasing herself through the door. She walked over to Rogue and took in the black long sleeved shirt and jean pants she was holding up.

"Ya'," Rogue admitted heavily, visibly flinched at Kitty's subsequent squeal.

"Oh, like, who is it?" Kitty was smiling. "No! Wait!" She said before Rogue could answer her. "Is it that Mathew Dinkins that's been, like, hanging around you?"

"No, Kit," said Rogue apprehensively.

"Then, like, who is it! Kitty exclaimed. She balled up her fists and bounced up and down a few times, she was clearly more excited that Rogue was.

"No one ya' need to know!" said Rogue angrily, she was getting defensive. She didn't want to admit to partaking in the 'mundane' teenage ritual of dating, especially with an enemy.

"O.K." said Kitty, not offending in the slightest, she gave a mock sigh like she was giving up and then pierced Rogue with a pitiful stare "I was just, like, curious."

"Ya' do know that curiosity killed the cat, don'cha?" said Rogue. It was a rhetorical question but Kitty still deemed it worthy of an answer.

"Yeah, but the cat, like, got the dog's tongue!" she exclaimed gleefully in response when Rogue only gave her a less than thrilled look. She enjoyed these moments with her roommate, the southern gal was just too tense sometimes!

'That was definitely stupid,' thought Rogue. "So what are ya' here for, asides annoying the hell outa' me?"

"Well I was, like, coming to see what was, like, going on with you," Kitty now turned her 'serious' face on, it really wasn't all that different from her normal expression. "But now that I see what a mess you, like, are (Rogue raised a eyebrow at that) I have decided that I will lend you my fashion expertise for tonight only, for your, like, fabulous date."

Rogue groaned as Kitty grinned, (Damned Cheshire Cat) and put her head in her hands and slowly sat down on her bed. Resigning herself to the fact that she was going to be wearing an A+ Pryde approved outfit tonight.

X-_X-_X

Logan's motorcycle roared out of the driveway exactly thirty six seconds before Rogue exited the mansion and two minutes and five seconds before a second motorcycle pulled up to the mansion's gate.

"Y' ready, chere?" half shouted a clear Cajun voice.

Now on the first glance you wouldn't be able to see who he was talking to. But then looking back on the second glance you would see a certain annoyed (thanks to a certain feline) goth girl hiding in the shadow of the entry gate pillar.

This wasn't any ol' Goth girl, this was Remy's chere!

Tonight she was delightfully dressed in a black tube top with a see through film shirt over it for safety measures, black dress jeans, and elbow length leather gloves. She was embarrassed when Kitty had pronounced it an appropriate outfit, not liking to have to admit that she had so little experience in basic teenage ritual, but had covered it with her usual bluster.

"Took ya' long enough," she half shouted back. Rogue had to say at least one thing offensive; she didn't want the Cajun thinking she was actually _delighted_ to go on this date.

"Jus' wanted a good t'ing to last a lil' longer, _chere_," Gambit smirked as he handed her the helmet that was hanging off the back of his bike.

Rogue got on, hesitation about the vehicle not an issue. She'd been on motorcycles before so she wasn't worried. It was the Cajun that worried her. She cast a quick glance back up to the mansion, her loneliness from earlier in the day shooting back through her, and then resigned herself to going through what she got herself into.

"We be going to a real special place, _chere_," Gambit commented before revving the motorcycle and shooting off.

Rogue almost smiled as she felt the breeze in her hair. Almost.

X-_X-_X

They ended up going to a café on the outskirts of Bayville. It was nearly deserted as it was a late hour, but the café was open until eleven.

Rogue had had enough mental anxiety on the short drive. Where to put her hands, worrying about what was going to happen when they got to where they were going, and worrying about what was going to happen when they arrived back to the mansion were only a few of the things on her mind.

Briefly the thought that this was a trap had flashed through her mind, but she had forced it back, willing herself to believe that she wasn't that foolish to fall for that sort of thing.

As they sat and enjoyed their light meal Rogue slowly began to relax. Remy took notice of this and used it to its fullest. He explored all types of topics while she was still in that good of a mood. He hoped to get to know her a little better.

While it was at first very ridiculous to her that he was talking about the things he was (small mundane, every day things) she soon realized that it was _small talk_. Rogue had never expected to be sitting in front of Gambit, eating, and being subjected to what appeared to be nervous small talk.

She almost laughed, hiding the upturn of her lips behind a forkful of food.

They ended up sitting there until closing time when a very annoyed busboy shooed them out. Gambit had strung out every part of the combination he could, even bringing up tale's of his brief stint in Bayville High, and the trouble he'd gotten himself into there.

Rogue put on the helmet again, and, again got on the back of Remy's motorcycle. This time, as the cool night air whipped by her, she allowed a smile, albeit small, to spread across her face. She was feeling a strange, completed, peace.

X-_X-_X

Rogue got off the back of Remy's bike, twenty minutes later, with a slight feeling of regret. She had partly hoped her time with the Cajun player lasted longer. It was foolish, but it was liberating too.

"Well Remy don' imagine he could walk y' to da door, so he jus' gonna' say goodnight right now," said Gambit. The grin accented the twinkle in his eyes. Or was that twinkle because of the stars? They sure were bright tonight.

That had done it for Rogue, that solitary thought. She was so relaxed she allowed her curiosity to come up to the surface for a moment. She looked up at the stars.

She had to admit they _were_ bright. She glanced back down. Too late the Cajun had caught her.

He glanced up before looking back at her.

"They be _belle_, _cher_," Gambit waited for her hesitant nod of agreement before continuing "Jus' like you,_ la belle femme_."

Rogue snorted (very unladylike) at the cheesy line. Though tonight it didn't seem as cheap or cheesy as usual, it almost sounded nice, like a compliment, _almost_. She didn't forget that he was the joker and she the stern do-gooder.

She turned to go back through the gate. Rogue didn't want to say anything in parting to him, for a few different reasons, one of them being she didn't really want to acknowledge what wall had fallen away that night.

"_Bon nuit, cher_e," he called, forgoing the silence.

"G'night, swamp rat," she called back in a hesitant farewell. With his last words she quickened her pace into the mansion, trying to figure out just _what_ exactly life was doing lately.

X-_X-_X

In the next minute and a half two very important things happened. A certain Cajun thief got back on his bike and drove down the rather winding road, and the second thing occurred, though by far it was much more important. He passed another motorcycle two miles down the road.

X-_X-_X

Rogue was in the mansion's doors only a short while before the second motorcycle that Remy had passed, pulled into the long drive. It grinded against the gravel, it's owner knowing the path well, and it's headlight's illuminated the newly closed front door.

The gate echoed closed in the near distance.

As Logan got off his motorcycle he smelled two very fresh scents, one more potent that the other. It was cologne. It was a male cologne that he'd be damned if he ever forgot. He felt his heckles raise and sought out the scent further, shutting of his bike he closed his eyes and sniffed again.

"Gumbo," growled Logan "And—Stripes…me and Chuck are gonna' have a little talk."

He got off the bike, leaving it where it was, and entered the building, an agitated swagger in his confident stride.

As Logan shut the door a two-toned female was drifting into the wonderful dream world, twenty times happier than when she woke up that morning.

**X-_X-_X**

_**I realized that this first chapter was quite a mess, so I took some time to edit it up, some of the scenes are still lacking, but I don't want to change them too much and risk losing some of their future importance.**_

_**This story was started due to a songfic I had originally posted that followed this tale's plotline in a much quicker display, I was urged to make it a novel length story, so I started it five years ago. I was a much junior writer, and much lazier about my updates.**_

_**It's changed a lot since then, I have new ideas for it now, and it's a certainty it'll be completed before the end of the year. I really like that my readers have been kind enough to stick with me, and I'd really like to thank them.**_

_**Please review and drop me a line if you'd like. It means the world to hear from a reviewer, and I always take the time to write back. Thanks for reading.**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter Two**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

When Rogue walked into the kitchen the next morning she was deeply disappointed. Nearly all the students and staff were already there eating and talking quietly amongst themselves. She'd have preferred to avoid a crowd, but it was a constant reminder that she needed to find herself a place in humanity at some point.

She noticed immediately that the Professor and Logan were in deep conversation.

It was a pity too; she had wanted to eat breakfast quietly, not squeezing into a seat between two kids that would eventually try to edge away without her noticing. She hated being around so many people at once.

She decided to leave for school early on a whim, and maybe grab something to eat from some place in town. She had to pick up a final transcript for the Professor to keep in file. 'Definitely a good idea,' she thought to herself, unconsciously weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

What surprised her a bit though was when she turned to leave, intending to sneak right back out of the room, the Professor and Logan's head both turned in her direction. Both of them looked at her, more or less unreadable expressions on their faces.

'_Rogue I'd like a word after you return from the school, if you'd please,'_ came the Professors polite but slightly strained projection in her head. She nodded and left the kitchen, just in time to see the Professor nod in turn to Logan.

'Ah wonder why he needs to see me so bad?' she questioned herself. 'He was talkin' to Logan…" all at once what before seemed like simple fears made Rogue stop dead in her tracks just outside the kitchen door.

'Logan's abilities…what if he smelt the swamp rat and meh?' she had a slightly panicked moment before she remembered that it would not be good to be caught loitering in the mansion entryway by a younger rookie. She didn't want to be accused of 'talking to the demons in her head' again.

Everything in the school went as was to be expected. She was made to wait for an exorbitant amount of time and was glared at distastefully when she snatched the white envelope out of the secretary's hands, leaving the room without a word.

Her worry only intensified as she grabbed a muffin from a corner store, and caught herself thinking about the night before. She'd be in deep if those thoughts kept recurring once she was home.

Rogue had a rather disturbing walk home, every time she would here a motorcycle she would wheel around expectantly. She was scolding herself internally because of this.

'Why am Ah looking forward to seein' that Cajun again? It's not like Ah like him or somethin'. An it's not like Ah'm anything more than a challenge.' Her thoughts went round and round in her head, all of them with varying degrees of cynicism or optimism.

The rest of the way home she continued to have her internal conversation. Trying to believe that she was only a challenge, but secretly hoping she wasn't, trying to convince herself that he wasn't worth liking, and at the same time admitting that she already did. She had to admit that she was ready to buy into simple teenage things, even though in just a couple years she wouldn't be one anymore.

She started to climb the stairs before she remembered her meeting with the Professor, surprised that it even slipped her mind. She slowly made her way back down them, thinking of what the Professor wanted to talk about with her.

She heard Scott's car pull in the driveway in the distance, it always had a unique way about riding on the gravel. 'Probably picking out wedding rings,' she mused to herself, before shaking her head and half scolding herself.

Rogue approached the door with slight caution, dumping her bag on the ground before raising her hand to knock on the door, though she wasn't surprised when she felt a vice in her head.

'_Please, come in Rogue,'_ the Professor began. _'You'll find that it is unlocked.'_

She took half a breath and opened the door.

X-_X-_X

"May I help you sir?" asked the cheery women behind the jeweler's desk.

Gambit hated talking to people like her. The overly cheery, I-only-do-this-for-the-money-and-my-boss-is-waiting-in-the-back-room-so-we-can-be-inappropriate, type people.

"No t'ank y'" replied Gambit with a small smile. Being nice did have its perks. "I'm jus' lookin' 'round."

"Well if you need anything don't hesitate to call!" the women replied 'cheerily' before heading in the (surprise, surprise) back room.

Gambit took a breath, rolling his eyes, and began to appraise the jewelry with a well experienced eye.

X-_X-_X

"Rogue, please have a seat," said the Professor, this time using his vocal cords, as she entered the room. He gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk, and smiled at her kindly.

Rogue complied.

"I do believe you already have a hint of what I would like to talk about," said the Professor. Rogue looked unusually nervous at this.

Rogue turned her chin up determinedly, she was from Alabama, and women from Alabama didn't take the time to be nervous about trivial things like this.

"Maybe," she replied. She would ever the stubborn one.

"When Logan got home the other night," began the Professor. "He smelled something unusual. It seems one of Magnetos men had been around, Gambit his name is? Irrelevant. But then to Logan's immense shock…he smelled you as well."

Rogue heard several students parade on up the stairs, and she heard the creak of the kitchen door echo through the wood of his office door as well.

Rogue highly doubted Logan had been 'immensely shocked' but she declined to comment on it. (Even though she was sure the small smile on the Professor's face meant he had already 'guessed' what she was thinking.) He actually looked like he was waiting for Rogue to comment.

"Yeah," Rogue said wearily. "I was out front with Remy."

Now if the Professor noticed the use of 'Remy' and not 'Gambit' he didn't comment on it.

"And what were you doing out front with…Mr. LeBeau?" asked the Professor. He didn't exactly sound like he was pushing her for any specific reason, but his tone did leave the impact that this was something that he felt was necessary to be concerned about.

"Nothin'," Rogue said, crossing her arms. She would later lament that her defensive posture hadn't been the best route to embark on.

The Professor raised an eyebrow.

'Damn telepaths!' Rogue thought inwardly, she knew she'd been thought out.

The Professor cracked a smile again. His eyes crinkled some, and the light from the window didn't hide the dimples formed from the upturn of his smile either.

"We went out on a date, 'kay?" Rogue said sitting forward protectively. If she was going to be punished or forced to leave, this would be the moment. Her omission would be the clarification, not that a telepath would damn well need any.

"That is all I needed to know, Rogue," the Professor said with a smile, Rogue's shock traveled all the way down her spine, making her lose her focus for a moment. "You may leave now if you wish."

Rogue got up and walked out the door, feeling ten times happier than when she walked in. The Professor only wanted to know. He wasn't going to punish her or prevent her from going on anymore-

STOP

'What makes me think there's gonna' be anymore?' Rogue thought inwardly. She started to climb the stairs. 'It's not like the Cajun would wanna' date me again… and it's not like Ah'd wanna' date him again.'

Sadly she entered her room feeling ten times less happy than she had on her way up the stairs to her room.

X-_X-_X

The Professor watched as Rogue left his office with suppressed emotions almost showing. He ran a casual hand over the cool wood of his desk, retreating to his own thoughts.

'Maybe this was a good thing,' he thought to himself. 'Magneto, my old friend, is gone. Perhaps the opportunity for peace without chaos has finally arrived.'

The Professor wheeled himself over to his window.

Whenever he sat over by the window and looked out, out at the grounds and usually the kids (younger ones) playing, he felt a strange peace. But underneath it all he knew it wasn't true peace. True peace could only be obtained when the peace he wanted came.

Peace between humans and mutants.

He sighed and turned back to his desk. He didn't know it then, but even if his old friend wasn't stirring up problems within the mutant community, the humans had strife building within their very own capitol.

Peace would have to wait.

X-_X-_X

When Rogue walked into her room she noticed something.

Kitty was waiting for her. Sitting right on her bed. Looking right at her.

"What do ya' want Kit?" asked Rogue tiredly. All she wanted to do was listen to some music and maybe do some reading, before Logan decided she needed DR.

"Like how was your date?" asked Kitty smiling benignly. The girl rolled over onto her stomach and looked up at Rogue with her head on her hands.

"Why would ya' wanna' know?" asked Rogue walking into the room and getting a pair of sweats distractedly, they were on the bed next to Kitty.

"Because…," Kitty trailed off, turning around and laughing bubbly. She seemed to find some sort of humor that Rogue hadn't quite grasped yet.

"Because…why?" Rogue was O.K. playing this game. It was a piece of cake really, even if the game was with Kitty. She bent over and retrieved her bathing supplies from where they currently rested on the floor next to her dresser.

"Because…..I want to know!" said Kitty sitting up.

"Well ya' don't need to know," said Rogue defensively. All she wanted to do was take a shower, maybe read a little and go to bed, for some reason she was exhausted. Why did her nosy roommate, admittedly her best friend, have to do this _now_?"

"But I, like, want to know!" Kitty whined pitifully. Was this one of those girly teenage rituals that Rogue had never been part of? Some sort of girl code that said the best friend needed to know everything about everything in her life?

"Ya' don't need to know!" snapped Rogue moving towards the door.

"But Rogue…" Kitty trailed off.

"Fine! It was fine! It was good! It was great! Got it?" Rogue yelled stalking out the door and slamming it behind her.

"Yup!" said Kitty, smiling, as she got off Rogue's bed and moved to her own. She popped in a CD and sat content to listen to music until dinner. She had accomplished what she set out to do.

X-_X-_X

Most people would have though Rogue had drowned if they knew the amount of time it took before she got out. But she loved to just stand in the shower and think, letting the hot water run over her. Today she especially hoped it relaxed her.

She just couldn't get that date out of her head!

She was a challenge, nothing more, at least that's what she had herself thinking as she walked out of the bathroom door.

When she entered her shared room she found that Kitty wasn't there anymore.

'Probably down at dinner already' she thought to herself.

So she turned her bedside lamp on and sat herself down with a book in her hands.

It was a wondrous thing, a book, especially to Rogue. When she read she was not only transported into the story as if she were there, but it also seemed that the voices in her head were dimmer when she read. She could finally be herself.

But before she could lose herself in her book-

BAM! BAM! BAM-BAM!

"What do ya' want?" Rogue yelled in the direction of the door. She put a finger in the book and then let it close to look over her shoulder at the door.

"Stripes! It's time for dinner!" came Logan's gruff voice.

'Like Ah didn't know that' Rogue thought but decided better on actually saying it aloud, instead she yelled, "Ah'm not hungry!"

"Suit yourself but don't let me catch you wandering around at midnight for a snack!" Logan's voice didn't sound any particular emotion, but Rogue was almost waiting for him to tear her door down and interrogate her about enemy activities.

"Fine!"

She was going to waited for Logan's footsteps to fade away before returning to her book, unfortunately destiny decided she need not wait that long.

"_Bonjour, chere_," came a silky smooth voice.

Several things happened in the next few minutes.

One, Rogue screamed but managed to hurriedly contain it. Two, a certain Cajun stepped out of the shadows of her balcony and into her room. Three, she chucked her book at said Cajun which, four, he caught it.

"What the _hell _are ya' doin' here!" Rogue demanded once she regained her composure. She quenched the urge to throw a blanket over her lounge wear clad body.

"Why else would Gambit be here if not ta' see his _chere_?" The man was wearing his usual grin, and Rogue had to thank the deities for that. She needed to make herself feel some normalcy and then figure out why the hell he was in the mansion.

"Ah'm not your 'chere'!" Rogue protested no matter how weak the argument was she was still stubborn.

Gambit continued as if he had never heard her, "It's not exactly healthy if y' don' eat, _cheer_."

"Since when have Ah ever been exactly healthy?" Rogue said as if it were an almighty '_Duh_!'

"But still…" Gambit trailed off looking at her. (Whenever Gambit gave Rogue that look butterflies flooded her stomach, not that she'd ever admit it) "Y' jus' might want to be healthy in two weeks," Gambit grinned.

"Why would ah want to be healthy in two weeks?" demanded Rogue, a bit of curiosity creeping into her voice. It was obvious that he would wait for her to ask the question, but she didn't fell too annoyed at that.

"Fo' our second date o' course!" Gambit said cheerfully. Though, in his eyes you could see a carefully hidden emotion that had not been there in quite some time.

"Second d—date?" Rogue exclaimed. She furrowed her brow. All the day's misgivings and mind numbing anxieties spoke up at once, along with the din of all her inner psyches.

All her walls fell instantly.

How could there be a second date? She was the Rogue, the untouchable…the unlovable. And he was the Cajun, the filthy playboy that only wanted a good challenge. Why would he want a second date when he'd already gotten what he wanted? He got a date with the untouchable, never before had a feat been accomplished….he conquered. So why would he want a second?

Gambit watched the emotions flicker on her face sadly. She didn't want to go on a second date with him? Fine! He'd try and try and dis be what he get! He steadied himself the next moment, as much as he wanted to retreat to petulant thoughts, he was a man that didn't give up on getting what he wanted

He'd give her some space, for now. Gambit turned to leave throwing a last glance at Rogue; she had distress written all over her face.

Gambit had set his mind on continuing to walk but stopped at the sound of a voice.

"Why?" came a surprisingly weak voice. "Why would you want an untouchable?"

Gambit turned around. What was that she had said?

"Y' not an untouchable, _chere_," he began, slowly. He turned around and Rogue could see a pitying sadness in his eyes. "Y' t'ink y' are. Y' gon' and buried the real Rogue, but I've seen 'er _cher,_ I've seen 'er! When y' get angry, letting the thrill of the fight overtake y', or when y' jus' let yer shields slip for the tiniest bit o' time…tha's when I can see the real y'…not another mask o' yers."

He stopped and looked down at Rogue silently pleading for her to make a decision. He told her what he'd been dying to tell her since the first time he fought her…now it was up to her to make the decision. He may have not been an important person to her life like he imaged these X-Men were, but couldn't he take the time to tell the woman that he had admitted from afar something important?

She matched her eyes to his. Her mass confusion to his…sincerity? This was the raging Cajun! He wasn't supposed to have sincerity, at least not in matters such as these. He wasn't supposed to be standing in her shared bedroom, apparently willing to continue associating with her, the untouchable.

"The real me?" she questioned quietly. The whole situation was making her feel more and more less like the invulnerable X-Man that she was supposed to ber.

"_Oui, cher_, the real y,'"

"Then tell me what the real Marie's like?" She looked up at him. She tried channeling some anger, and wanted to make her voice righteous, but it didn't come. Could she really have this conversation with someone she really knew nothing about?

"Marie?" he questioned quietly, taking a couple steps closer to her.

"Me, Cajun, me."

"_Chere_, y' name's Marie?" a quiet astonishment came over him. He guessed that he never really thought he'd ever know anything so intimate about the woman.

"Ya' so if you can see the real Marie tell me what she's like!"

Gambit was the slightest bit concerned. Rogue was coming close to what he considered near hysteria for the woman, and he was sure that if he didn't calm her down she would have a breakdown of some sort. It looked as if she had finally reached her point.

"Marie has a hot temper," Gambit starting, not focusing on Rogue but choosing to direct his attention to a point across the room. "She has an instinct like feelin' o' loyalty. She likes to be generous, that probably goes along with the most important thing about Marie, she needs people around' 'er. She needs t' feel secure, safe, and wanted. She likes dat feelin' even if she doesn't always communicate dat fact."

Sometime during when Gambit was speaking he found himself down next to Rogue, holding her close and speaking directly in her ear. Good thing he wasn't about taking advantage of some intimate emotions to make a reason to touch the girl.

"Is Marie really like that?" asked Rogue tentatively. She held her face away from him, damned if she wanted to make eye contact with him when she was feeling so weak.

"O'course!" Gambit replied almost immediately. She could hear his grin in the voice.

"And does Gambit really like Marie?"

"_Oui_."

"Marie thinks she likes Gambit too...but she's so far down..."

"Remy's gonna' help you get Marie back, _chere_, Remy promises," Remy looked directly at Rogue and watched some of the color return to her pale cheeks. He was happy that she wasn't retreating from him. She just might be past that on the road to recovery.

_**X-_X-_X**_

_**I guess I'm trying to over haul these first few chapters. To anyone who'd read this before, who called by giant, enormous, humongous mistake? I nearly laughed off my chair, it's what I get for only have an update a year for the first four years. Did anyone catch that this entire chapter had scenes about school in it originally when I very obviously talk in the rest of the story about them having graduated? I had to delete and rewrite entire sections, lol.**_

_**Thanks for reading; I hope you all can spare a moment for a review! **_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter Three**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Shhh! She'll, like, hear us!" whispered Kitty Pride furiously. She didn't bother with trying to be nice when she grabbed her companions' shoulders roughly to get her point across.

"Then what are we even here for?" demanded a frustrated Jubilation Lee. She shook Kitty's hand off with a glare.

"We've got to find out what's up with Rogue! You're the one that volunteered the plan, so why are you, like, complaining!" Kitty replied, pushing Jubilee slightly.

"Hey! Don't push me!" demanded, quietly, an, again, frustrated Jubilee.

Then she pushed back.

X-_X-_X

Rogue half hummed as she added two eggs to the deliciously smelling cake batter that she was stirring,

It felt so unnatural!

She couldn't help it…she felt _giddy_. She felt an uncontrollable giddiness that was leading her to want to do something for her fellow X-Men, something considered _normal_.

It was still so unnatural to her. Gambit wanted her! The untouchable, uncontrollable, unconceivable Rogue and she had the Professors permission! These things were monumental; they were things that she never, ever thought would matter in her life.

That's why she was doing what she is right now. Baking a cake and it happened to be for the professor, a 'thank you' of sorts. Ororo always baked one for him every now and then, and the simple task seemed like the right thing to do. She had so much energy she needed to keep her hands busy, and she didn't need Logan suggesting that she go that through DR.

Though every now and then she could hear the whispers of her fellow peers, she abruptly cut herself off from letting it bother her. They would stand by the door, peak in through the window, and some daring fool had cracked open the door an inch.

She enjoyed fully what she was doing to them! She got a certain amount of sadistic pride out of seeing _them_ seeing _her_ abnormality. They could wonder and gossip about it all they want.

Though, the next moment the whole ordeal did seem a bit much as the kitchen door went flying open, sending two teenage girls into the table, and sending the bowl of fruit that adorned it to a quick meeting with the floor.

Appkes went all over the floor as a shaken Jubilee and Kitty rolled out into the kitchen floor. They stared at each other, at her, and then back to each other. Jubilee picked up an apple from next to her and the stared at it as if she couldn't believe what happened.

Rogue put the cake into the stove and sat down at the table, Pepsi in hand, looking directly down at the two eavesdroppers on the floor. She took a slow draw from her soda, and then raised a brow expectantly.

Kitty and Jubilee stared up from the floor, guilty expressions marring their features, deer caught in the headlights. Kitty tried to hurry and get up, brushing of her shirt, but Jubilee snatched the edge of her blouse and pulled her back down, as if she were afraid of being left.

After several moments of staring at each other Rogue got up from the table and made for the door.

"Ah'm sure ya'll wouldn't mind cleanin' this all up, now would ya'?" questioned Rogue as she walked gracefully out the doorway. She sashayed slightly, the grin on her face matching the swagger in her step.

Kitty and Jubilee nodded their heads numbly.

"Oh and girls?" Rogue popped her head back through the door. "Ya'll wouldn't mind takin' mah cake out in about an hour? Would ya'?"

"Like, sure Rogue," answered Kitty as she finally regained the use of her vocal cords. She crawled quickly on hands and needs checking to make sure that Rogue was really clear of the door. Then she sat back on her heels, heaving a sigh before glaring at the trench coat wearing girl.

Rogue was barely able to contain her laughter as she strolled back down the hallway, still sipping her Pepsi. Yes, it was good to be able to feel 'normal' some times.

X-_X-_X

For the next week and a half Rogue managed to tune down the 'abnormal' behavior of hers and regain her 'normal' attitude. Still she was happier that she had ever been in the years before. She met her training with more ferocity, and she put an effort into conversation with her peers.

Also, the professor was getting quite a sweet tooth from Rogue's 'thank you.'

Kitty was also fully enjoying the cheerier attitude of Rogue, she was able to play her music more, talk about boys more, ask fashion advice more, and all around, be Kitty more. If the rest of the X-Men noticed any more of a more tangible difference, they didn't bother saying anything.

All and all it seemed a brighter side of life.

X-_X-_X

"Chuck what is wrong with her?" demanded a frustrated and irate Wolverine the next morning. "She's bonding with half-pint, helping the new recruits, and for God's sake she's baking!"

"Yes, I have noticed," said the professor a somewhat cheeky expression on his face. "But it seems she has finally been able to achieve the help that she has never really ever been able to grasp form us."

"What?" asked Wolverine a furious expression was still on his face but it seemed to be more mixed with curiosity and worry now. "What the hell do you mean by help?"

The Professor's smile subdued itself in luminosity after a moment. "Rogue's feelings her powers have been long ingrained in her mind, and her feelings towards us are long ingrained as well."

Logan drew himself away from the doorway, taking once of the seats in front of the Professor's desk, and crossing his arms. "What feelings towards us?"

Wolverine may have thought that the Professor meant she had resentment towards them, for always being the good guys, for always trying to help and having nothing to show for it, but the Professor tried to put his mind at ease. "Just that she has always seen us as a wall of optimism, and nothing more," he soothed.

"So where's Stripe's getting this other help from?" demanded the man, running a hand across his chin. His protective attitude for the children of the Institute, especially Rogue, was always appreciated in these moments.

"Let me put it this way Logan, Rogue's sick," said the Professor. He uncurled a hand, knowing he'd have to explain further.

"Come again?"

"Logan, Rogue is sick of being _sick_," the Professor continued "The association between her and the," he coughed slightly "other gentleman has convinced her that she's not infirm, that she can gain normalcy, something that she can't quite gather from just being here."

"This other gentleman, huh?" snorted Wolverine, shaking his head some. "That's a way to put it."

The professor grinned.

X-_X-_X

"Bye Kit!" Rogue yelled out to Kitty as she bounded out the front door for a date, she had refused to tell anyone who it was with. They all cheekily suggested that she was back together with Lance.

Rogue sighed as she lay back down on her bed, putting a CD in her player, and closing her eyes, it was odd but she was slightly discontented without the steady flow of words coming from the other side of her room.

However she was truly content to simply be able to lie there, and listen to music. Thank God that she didn't have any DR Sessions that night, she didn't feel like activity at the moment, she wanted to sit and feel like she was relaxing during a nice evening in the south, the way she used to.

Though another bright thing to look up to, probably the best thing of all; Remy was expected back in town any day now. He really had never told her what it was he was doing, and Rogue half heartedly told herself that she really didn't want to know.

Then, soon, they would have the chance to go on a second date!

While Rogue was still excited about this, she didn't forget that she was still the resident Goth-glare manufacturer. She was convinced that she wanted to really give the mansion at chance again, to force out bad memories, however, that this fact made her grin, it didn't have to necessarily be easy on the other inhabitants.

_"-That's where I wa-"_

Her CD player stopped mid-phrase.

Rogue raised an annoyed eyebrow at the CD player as she realized that it had quit because her batteries were dead.

"Damn it!" she cursed silently.

She stood up and stretched, prepared to steal Kitty's own batteries when she noticed that something was sending a disturbing, albeit quite delightful, scent into the room. It smelled familiar too. She realized what it was the next moment.

There was a small path of rose petals leading from the bottom of her bed to the doorway of the balcony. The setting was utterly ridiculous of course, at least to her, but worth investigation nonetheless.

Rogue let her curiosity direct her feet as she started to walk somewhat cautiously towards the balcony, though she began to let her guard down when she realized what this probably was, and who was probably responsible for it.

After all, not many people had the abilities to sneak into her room and set a trail of fragrant rose petals without her noticing. They were special abilities, you had to learn them, and they were especially helpful in certain career paths.

Boy did she hope she was right!

Rogue reached the balcony door and rested her hand on the door's handle, and in one simultaneous movement she opened the door and threw back the curtain, barely hesitating.

And if she was right then on the balcony in front of her, waiting for her should be none other than –

"Gambit!" Rogue rushed forward and threw herself at the grinning man who had been waiting on the balcony before her. She didn't let the fact that she had _willingly_ thrown herself diminish her instantaneous happiness. She could act out a bit if she wanted to.

Oh she was so happy! He came back for her. He came back for _her_! She wasn't sure what she had been thinking but for some reason she felt he wouldn't come back for her. It had been a hope, a semi conscious dream, and now it was reality.

She was very, very happy that she was wrong.

"Why _chere_, Remy t'ink somebody b'en missin' Remy, _non_?" he grinned cheekily down at her.

"Ah hate you!" she said but buried her head in his chest to hide her smile.

She knew he could feel it.

"Remy don' understand dis _femme_," Remy said feigning an exasperated voice. He glanced cautiously at either side of Rogue's balcony, but either resident didn't seem to in their rooms, if their darkened quarters were any indication.

"Ya' do not that rose petals are highly cliché don't ya'?" said Rogue snidely.

Gambit chuckled; trust the gal in his arms to have that as an opening statement. They remained in that position for a least a few minutes more. He standing there, she wrapped up in his arms. Content.

"Guess who Remy saw on his way up?"

"Who?" Rogue mumbled against his chest. She was clearly less interested in the conversation and more interested in the semi physical contact.

"_La petite chat_."

"Yeah, she has a date," Rogue mumbled vaguely wondering if this was supposed to be "small talk" or something.

"But y' know what, _chere_?" Remy said, bending down so that he could talk directly into her ear.

"What?" said Rogue, slightly annoyed. Why were they talking about Kitty?

"Remy know who she be havin' da date wit'."

"Who?" said Rogue incredulously, moving her head to look up at him. "An' how the hell did ya' find out?"

"Because da _homme_ that she be going out wit' tonight happens t' live wit' Remy," he grinned down at her, he was clearly waiting to pull this on her.

"What?" said Rogue, looking in –no other words to describe it- flabbergasted. Kitty was on a date with an Acolyte? Was that really some new fashionable trend or what?

Remy chucked, oh yeah, he had been waiting a long time to inform her of this one.

"Ya' cannot be serious! Which one is it?" Rogue asked, secretly pleased. She wasn't the only one dating a 'bad' guy now.

"Piotr. He's da one called Colossus," Remy answered her. "Remy couldn't believe it when he found out to, _Cherie_."

"It's definitely unbelievable, Ah wonda' where they met?" Rogue looked up at him questioningly. She and Gambit had only ever been in contact with one another because for the longest amount of time he had a stalker complex, but she didn't see the same thing flying with Kitty.

"Remy don' know, _Cherie_, he t'aught he'd leave dat job up to y'."

"Ah'm thrilled," said Rogue. "It'll be _so_ hard to get information out of Kitty about a guy."

Remy let out a bark-like laughter.

"An' what's so funny, swamp rat?" demanded Rogue, of course she was still grinning.

"Jus' you _Cherie_, y' brighten Remy's day ev'rytime he sees y'."

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Well you certainly haven't lost your silver tongue while you were away," she turned to that she was leaning her back into him, and he leaning into the balcony rail. It was exposed, but who didn't enjoy some danger at being discovered?

Remy grinned. "Dat reminds Remy!"

"Of what?" questioned Rogue saucily; she let a hand go to her hip, reflecting on the woman who raised her.

"Remy owes you a date, _Cherie_," Remy leaned down towards her again. But she resisted his advance, smiling.

"An' where might we be going'?" Rogue asked, leaning against the sliding glass door that lead back to her and Kitty's room.

"It's a surprise, _chere_," Remy replied. "Let me work my…magic."

Rogue snorted, but before she could press Remy any further they heard the distinct shutting of a car door, and Kitty's bubbling laughter.

Remy leaned off the railing and mock bowed before Rogue. "That sounds like Remy's ride, _Cherie_."

"What?"

"Remy's got to try and hop a ride back wit' Piotr," Remy replied. Be braced both hands on the railing.

"You mean he was your ride over hear?" Rogue raised an eyebrow.

"Naturally y' tink Remy'd waste the chance to annoy Piotr about his hot date, non?"

"Shoulda' known, swamp rat, shoulda' known," Rogue laughed. She was disappointed that the meeting could only last as long as Kitty's date, but, it really was logical that that would be the course of actions. She was an X-Man, she had responsibilities.

"_Au Revoir, ma belle Cherie_," Remy said, smiling softly as he kissed her satin gloved hand.

"See ya' later…Remy," Rogue said softly, almost shyly. Of course when she realized she was acting shy she donned a defiant expression.

Remy looked, in no other choice of words, touched.

Right well, this was getting just a touch bit too sappy for Rogue.

"Right…well—bye."

Rogue hurriedly turned and slid the door open, stepping over the threshold and clicking the door shut behind her, and the drawing curtain.

Rogue turned around with a slightly disgusted expression on her face.

"That was…Romantic!"

X-_X-_X

Remy watched as Rogue snapped the Terrace door shut, a slight blush remaining on her features.

He grinned, there was nothing else in the world he could do.

He was complete, at least for the night. He knew that completion was never a permanent gift, you could fight for it, but in his experience, you could also lose it too.

It was in that instance that he realized Rogue was, at least impressionably, _the_ girl.

He silently vaulted over the railing and landed deftly on the ground, not jarred at all.

It was time to see how Piotr's date went.

Then he did the only thing he could do; he grinned.

X-_X-_X

This time Rogue was waiting on _Kitty's_ bed when _kitty_ came home from _her_ date.

So when Kitty phased through the door to their room, expecting Rogue to be asleep, it came to her as quite a shock to see Rogue sitting on her bed (all leaned back and relaxed too) with a smirk in her face that looked like it belonged on a certain Cajun's face instead.

Kitty finished phasing through the door and stood uncertainly before Rogue, her purse clutched to her chest.

"Hey Rogue, did you, like, need something?" Kitty asked, shifting from side to side in her nervousness. She cocked her head to the side, smiling in what she hoped was an innocent manner.

"Yeah Kit, I was just wondering how your date went?" replied Rogue, sitting up. She leaned forward and stared at Kitty in a way that made her uncomfortable.

"Oh it was, like, great Rogue," said Kitty plastering on an even faker smile. She put her hand behind her head trying to wave off everything but in the end it just made her look sheepish. Why was her roommate acting like she was?

"Who did ya' say ya' were with?" asked Rogue, standing up nonchalantly. She even brushed off her shirt, resisting the urge to grin and twirl around to gloat at the girl about how she already knew.

"I-I didn't," said Kitty. Now Kitty was full blown nervous, Rogue would only do this if she knew something was up.

"Oh," was all Rogue said. She arranged her face so that no emotions of hers were showing and walked over to her bed, brushing past Kitty.

Kitty had to try hard from sighing audibly, but managed to hold her relief in. She wasn't prepared to deflect answers quite yet; she thought that she'd have all night to come up with a good story for the girls, when they asked in the morning.

And then…Rogue smirked, the Cajun smirk again.

"Now where did ya' say ya' and Piotr went again?"

Kitty shrieked.

"Like oh my God! How did you, like, find out, Rogue? Everyone doesn't know do they? Oh my God! Is the Professor, like, mad!" Kitty was flipping out, majorly. She whirled around to look at the door as if she expected someone to burst through it any moment.

"Relax, Kit, relax!" said Rogue throwing her hand out in a _stop_ motion. "I'm the only one that knows!"

"How did you, like, find out?" said Kitty, looking at Rogue fearfully. "It isn't that obvious is it? Oh, please Rogue, don't tell anyone."

"No, Kit," said Rogue rolling her eyes. "The only person that knows besides me is the Professor; no one really pays attention anyway."

Kitty looked slightly hurt at that.

"Ah didn't mean it like _that_. Ah mean you have a date with a guy ev'ry week. Ya' wouldn't tell no one so they just left it alone," said Rogue.

Kitty giggled. "I guess I do, like, go out with a lot of guys sometimes," said Kitty "But what can I say?"

They were silent for a moment before Kitty spoke again.

"You never did tell me where you, like, heard about Piotr and me?"

Kitty went and threw her purse and coat on the bed before looking back up at Rogue for the answer to her question. Her stomach was flip flopping more nervously that it had the morning of her SAT's.

"Well Ah, ah…Ah was told," said Rogue finally. She was slightly hesitant to tell Kitty about Gambit and her. She supposed in retrospect it was fairly obvious.

"By who?" asked Kitty grinning. This was probably the only conversation that she had ever had with Rogue that wasn't negative in some way, by a comment or feeling. It was a good feeling. This was a true, honest to God, girl talk conversation.

Rogue thought for a moment. Finally she figured she should tell Kitty, because after all wasn't Kitty being straight with her?

"By my…boyfriend."

"Your boyfriend?" Kitty stared at her incredulously.

"Yeah…Gambit."

"_Oh my God_!" Kitty exclaimed before jumping up from her seat on the bed. She raised her hands up as if it were too much for her "No _way!"_

"So that's who you went on a date with?" Kitty demanded questioningly. She grinned, and felt a comfortable warmth pool in her stomach. Rogue was in the same boat she was.

"Yeah."

"I have, like, so many questions for you!" said Kitty ecstatically, jumping to the ground and then flinging herself onto Rogue's bed.

"Nuh uh!" Rogue exclaimed, glaring. "Ah had questions first so you're answering mine 'fore you get your answered!"

"Deal!"

X-_X-_X

"So _both_ half-pint and stripes are dating them now?" Logan asked a subdued and somewhat resigned expression on his face. His posture also followed his attitude; he was rigid but still somehow slouched as he stared out the window in the Professor's office.

"Yes," replied the Professor, bringing a cup of tea to his lips. He was probably supposed to elaborate, but he's wait to see what Logan wanted from him.

"And your O.K. with this?" said Wolverine a slight growl being just held back. If he had had his way he'd be half way to tracking down both of the Acolytes and showing them just what exactly he thought about them making a move on two of his little girls.

"Yes," said the Professor looking directly at Wolverine. "I have talked to Rogue and I will talk to Kitty."

Wolverine rose from the wall and walked over so that he was directly in front of the Professor. He leaned on the desk and looked him straight in the eye. "It's been a _long_ time since I was their age and had to put up with this, so I have only one question."

Charles nodded understandingly.

"Are they going to be safe? That's all I want to know, Chuck," asked Wolverine. He let his voice dip low "Are they really going to be safe?"

"I am certain of it, at least when it comes to the Acolytes I believe I can promise that much to you," said the Professor. "I indeed do believe they will be safe."

Logan grunted a sigh, and the Professor set down his tea with a soft chink of noise.

**X-_X-_X**

_**This chapter's been edited now too, I hadn't realized that so much of this story was a mess! I really had thought that I'd gone back and edited things a few chapters ago. Hopefully this chapter is up to par with you readers, I'm really looking forward to your feedback, and hearing what you have to think about it so far. I'm going to try hard to bring this story up to my current expectations, I know the next chapter specifically has some work that needs to be done on it. Though I do say not all of it was my immature self's fault. I had uploaded that chapter during the time that was redoing their formatting and it screwed it up something fierce!**_

_**I hope you've enjoyed.**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Trapped in A Bottle**

**Chapter Four**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"She said that they met in the book store," said Rogue's relaxed accented voice.

"Da _petite chat_ was in a book store?" inquired the sinuous tone of our favorite Cajun, his grin was almost tangible.

"For this week's copy of **Forensic Fashion**," snorted back Rogue "Ya' think she'd go in there fo' anything else?"

"Now don't underestimate the chat," Gambit smirked into her hair "She was da Valedictorian, no?"

"Yo' right," Rogue seceded breezily without even a petulant glance.

"Course Remy is _chere_."

Rogue took only a halfhearted swat at his head as she snuggled further into her cocoon of warmth. They were in the park, in front of the fountain where she had first agreed to go on a date with him, and she was relaxing into his arms.

It hadn't taken Gambit long that afternoon to convince Rogue that she would be perfectly fine in his clothing covered arms. There was nothing else separating them nothing mental at least, not anymore.

"Piotr really seem to like dis _fille_ tho'," Gambit said suddenly a little stiff around the corners.

"So?" asked Rogue "Where you goin' with this, Swamp Rat?"

"It's just the petite really seem to go through da _hommes_, no?" Gambit said looking down into Rogues eyes, the wind ruffling his hair. "Remy just worried about _de_ Colossus, he be a soft _homme_."

"Kit's settlin' down," said Rogue in response "Ah saw a plusher field in her eyes last night. Ah don't think we really gonna' have to worry about them."

"Remy hope so, _ma chere_," he nuzzled her hair "Remy hope so."

"What else did th' chat tell y'?"

"It was mainly babblin' on like she usually does," said Rogue noticing how Gambit just couldn't sit still. He had to be playing with her hair or nuzzling her neck or he just didn't seem satisfied! "Talkin' on and on about his eyes and his muscles."

"Hmm," assented Gambit lazily and halfheartedly.

"He does have rather nice muscles," said Rogue slyly. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully

"Gambit have muscles," said Remy breaking away and eyeing her.

"I know ya' do Swamp Rat," said Rogue, though her tone wasn't the most convincing.

"Gambit does!"

"Mm Hmm."

"_Chere_!"

**X-_X-_X**

"Mr. Logan's been acting, like, weird," said Kitty offhand as she leafed through Cosmo.

"Logan's always actin' weird, sugar," said Rogue. She had found a new adoration for the time she spent with the valley girl. They were comrades in their relationship with enemy beings.

"Yeah but I think he, like, knows that I'm going out with Piotr," she said rolling over and tossing the magazine on the carpet.

"That would mean the Professor would know," mused Rogue. She had her eyes closed and looked the picture of relaxation on her bed. "You haven't been pulled in for a 'Ya know what ya' doin'' lecture have ya'?"

"No," said Kitty "Have you?"

"Yeah," Rogue looked over at Kitty. "He told me that he was O.K. with it and wanted to make sure Ah knew what Ah was doin'."

"Hmm," Kitty murmured into her bedding. "I wonder why he hasn't tried to talk to me. I mean he's like psychic, so he knows, right?"

"Ah dunno," replied Rogue "Maybe he thinks it's a lost cause. Everyone fallin' for the enemy."

"Maybe."

"Hey Rogue," asked Kitty turning over and looking across the room.

"Yeah Kitty?" perhaps it was the weather, mused Rogue, that was making her so patient today. The afternoon sun was making everyone lazy.

"Do you really like Gambit?" Kitty seemed nervous.

"Why?" asked Rogue back incredulously.

"Because, even though I haven't really known Piotr that long I think I like, really like him."

"So you want to know if Ah really like Gambit?" said Rogue back. Kitty was always the type of girl that could recognize her own emotions quick, and act on them too. Rogue was not.

"Yeah," Kitty ruled back up and looked at the ceiling; she was obviously uncomfortable asking Rogue these things. "I don't mean to pry or anything."

"Ah dunno if Ah really like Remy or not," said Rogue softly "But Ah know Ah feel fondness for him and we have a connection."

"You guys are good together," Kitty said "Like you're made for each other."

"The swamp rat and me made fo' each other?" Rogue snorted "Ya crazier than I thought."

"Yeah."

"Yeah, well," Rogue changed subject "Maybe we should set somethin' up, with the four of us."

"Like a double date?" Kitty questioned finally sitting up she adjusted her ponytail. The sun began to tint the sky a dull orange.

"Not so much," replied Rogue "More like one a' those hang out type a' days ya know?"

"I suppose," replied Kitty. "Why?"

"Ah'm just curious," said Rogue.

"Curious about what?"

"Ah wanna' see how ya'll interact," Rogue said. Turning over she faced the wall, effectively completing the conversation. For now.

**X-_X-_X**

"Rogue," the murmur came from behind her.

Rogue turned, surprised, and centered her focus on the man responsible for calling her name.

It was the professor.

"Yeah?" Rogue asked back, the tiniest bit of attitude in her voice. What was wrong now? All she'd been doing was running downstairs for a glass of water, and it's not like they were banned from leaving their rooms after dark.

"I wanted to let you know that a friend of mine has recently completed something I had asked her to look into," the Professor said. He was using a very complacent voice and it only took him a few seconds to transverse the floor over to where Rogue was standing.

"Professor, Ah really don't see how any o' this has somethin' to do with me," she said looking at him, one foot towards the stairs.

"Well," he said slowly "I asked her specifically to construct a certain model on my behalf because of you. And I'm only bothering you this late because she has finished construction but I want to make sure it is alright with you that she brings this construct here."

Rogue wasn't exactly certain what could be going on. What would need her O.K? "Well what is it? An' why would you need my permission, and why was it made fo' me?"

"Because Rogue," the Professor started. "This item is a small machine fitted into the form of a bracelet and it can work almost in the way Kurt's watch works. I believe it will negate your powers."

The glass Rogue had been holding made a terrific show as it seemed to sail towards the floor in slow motion. Splintering into hundreds of crystalline shards the water flowed out in a singular wave covering the distance between Rogue and the Professor.

"What the hell do ya' mean?" asked Rogue, completely stunned. "How could something do that? We've been working to make my powers go away in my head, not trying to find somethin' to do it fo' me!"

Her voice had risen by the end of her statement. "It's not that we have given up working in your mind Rogue, after all it is very important that you learn how to control your psyche, but it's that upon study of your mind I have determined that you need some strength to guide your mind to controlling this power."

"So what? This machine's gonna' be my strength, Ah'm not strong enough on my own?" Rogue was shaking startlingly.

"Not that way Rogue," said the Professor, raising a hand as if to dismiss it. "You need an external force to help you. This machine as you put it is only a short term thing, until you find the necessary strength."

"An' it's coming here?" asked Rogue, she had backed up a step unintentionally.

"Only if you say it and its creator, Moira McTaggert, can."

"Yes," said Rogue "Yes."

The Professor nodded as Rogue turned and walked very determinedly up the stairs. He was certain that she would only require the machine for a short time; he had the feeling that she had already found her external strength.

He hoped upon all hope that he was correct in his assumption.

**X-_X-_X**

The double date ended up being a rather good idea; they ended up going out on the lake, even though it was chilly out. Gambit knew a guy who knew a guy who got the boat for them, Rogue snorted when he said it. The day had gone smoothly as it was a couple smiles from Rogue, nervous giggles from Kitty, and light banter provided by the southern couple.

But the day was winding down and it left them all in a companionable silence, a silence that gave everyone time to think amongst himself or herself as the small boat gently rocked.

Rogue had felt that she rarely has ever had control over her own mind, so she wasn't anxious when at this moment her mind decided to wander of its own accord. She started to think about what the professor said the night before, about the machine that could stall her powers. She started slipping into a melancholy dream, as she could no longer feel the gentle rocking of the small boat beneath her. Turning away from gambit a bit she grimaced.

Like he didn't notice that.

Glancing at the other side of the boat where Kitty was whispering sly things in Piotr's ear he decided that they wouldn't care if he set up stock in conversation three feet away.

"Chere," he said gently. He nudged Rogue's shoulder, as she was sitting on the boat bottom holding her knees and facing east. Gambit had his legs up on one of the seating benches and his back against the stern. "Chere, what be da matter?"

Rogue sighed and turned towards Gambit. It was always a surprise to look him right in the face these days. They'd been out together plenty of times, and calling him her boyfriend made her feel nervous. With her actually starting to care for him she had to stop herself many times from just giving her heart away to the southern-blooded man.

"Anotha' talk with the Professor," said Rogue softly. Her eyes were obviously showing her wariness for their friends over hearing them.

"Wit interestin' information?" nudged Gambit on. The wind was changing behind them, making the bat rock hard a couple of times.

"Yeah," said Rogue. She put a determined look on her face, one that belonged there. "Well, no beatin' the bush, the Professor's come up with somethin' that'll negate my powers."

Gambit's face belied his shock and he smiled widely. "Well that be good? Ain't it?"

"No," said Rogue flatly "'Cause this machine his friend's been creatin' has t be strong fo' me. It's not me that conquerin' my powers it's a piece of metal."

"Ah," said Gambit. Fully aware of what her feelings were in response to that. "So what y' doin' 'bout that?"

"There's nothing Ah can do about it," said Rogue she stretched her legs and sat up on one of the boat benches, her back to Kitty and Piotr. "Ah'm not gonna' turn the gift down. The Professor had this made specially, and his lady friend's comin' here to deliver it."

"_Je ne sais pas_," mumbled Gambit "Maybe dis machine be th' help y' need to conquerin' y' powers y'self?"

"The Professor seems to know exactly what ah need to conquer my powers," said Rogue, the boat had begun drifting towards the late afternoon sun. Rogue saw Kitty looking at her out of the corner of her eye. She lowered her voice and bent forward. "He says that Ah need ta find an external source of power. That that's the only way Ah'm ever getting' control of my powers."

"Y' know, Cherie," began Gambit, his demonic eyes glowing he moved up (seemingly using the least amount of energy and all the flexibility of a career thief) to sit on the back of the boat, their knees touching. "Seems like the bald one means sometin mental."

Rogue could feel the loose flexible cloth that covered Gambit's knees, the hole's in hers making it so only his fabric separated their skin. Rogue seemed not to care much anymore. She looked up.

"Prolly is," she replied, the wind tussled their hair. "But ah wish he'd just explain it all to meh, ya know?"

Gambit rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the day old stubble apparent on his chin. "Y' know," he looked at her with a lazy smile on his face. "Seems t' me that one o' them mind psycho doctors would say that the trip t' finding that out be th' strength that y' have to find."

"He hinted," said Rogue slowly "That maybe Ah'd already found the strength that Ah need to succeed."

"Hmm," Gambit assented thoughtfully. "All dem old guys got a few cuckoo's no?"

Rogue chuckled prettily, but before she could reply Kitty's voice broke over the lake.

"Hey!" she had to shout slightly as the wind was picking up, creating a spooky howling effect over the small waved lake. "You guys think we should, like, take it back in now?"

Rogue turned around slightly, straddling the bench, Gambit crossed him arms a bit. Kitty looked at them whilst Colossus offered her a hand up. A mild moment of panic crossed Rogue's mind as the boat wobbled.

"Yeah!" said Rogue; somewhat hastily "That's prolly a good idea, kit."

"Oui," Gambit stood. (It was only evidence of his supremely good thief skills that he didn't rock the boat by doing so.)

They brought the boat back to shore, Kitty chatting on about doing this again and how it was so fun and ect. The evening was just starting to spread as they wound their way back to the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters.

X-_X-_X

Both Rogue and Gambit were studiously not looking at Kitty and Colossus as they bid each other good-bye. Kitty's giggle was plainly apparent to the both of them.

"Y' just t'ink about all dese tings easily, Cherie," said Gambit, brushing a strand of white hair absently. He still couldn't believe Rogue let him near her still, the best blessing of his life. "The future'll hold whateva' it needs to hold. Nothin' mo', an' nothin' less."

"What're ya saying, Swampy?" Rogue crossed her arms, a teasing smirk on her face. "Ya getting' all philosophical now?"

"Jus' don't worry 'bout it, _Cherie_," he said softly to her, Kitty bound past them and inside, the gate open wide enough for them to get in. "Jus' be happy, huh?"

"Whatever," she sighed and turned. "See ya later, Remy."

Gambit caught her hand before she had gone to steps, and bent down to lay a tender kiss on her knuckles. "Most definitely, Ma Cherie."

"Night."

X-_X-_X

Rogue was no fool. She knew exactly what she wanted and exactly want she had to do. No matter what her pride may think and no matter how much she wishes she could do it on her own she wanted to be able to touch. She wanted to be able to touch, if only to caress Gambits gentle hands or feel the sun on the skin of her arms.

She went straight to the Professor's office; she didn't need any more time to think about this, she knew exactly what she wanted. Pride be damned.

"Professor," she began to say before she had even swung the door open. "Ah want that machine thing, and ah want it now."

She stopped with her hand still on the perfectly round door know. The professor was at his desk but he wasn't alone. An attractive mid forties red head sat across from him, she was dressed in a crisp white lapelled pant suit and was looking at Rogue in quiet astonishment over her red horn rimmed glasses.

"Sorry Professor," mumbled Rogue. She fought off the red that was threatening to heat her face. "Ah didn't realize ya'd be busy."

"It's quite alright Rogue," he smiled at her, and the women put down the teacup she had been holding. "In fact I'm glad you chose this moment to come to me with your decision."

The women recovered her mildly disturbed countenance and agreed with the Professor. "Yes indeed your coming to us is something I consider quite provincial."

The Professor smiled, the women smirked.

'Ah just walked into the twilight zone,' thought Rogue.

The Professor smiled wider.

"Rogue," said the Professor "This is a women I spoke of to you just the other day: This is Dr. Moira McTaggert."

Astonishment and coincidence.

"Ah see," is all Rogue could come out with. She didn't have to stay in that awkward office silence very long however as the women once again put down her tea and this time jutted up from her chair.

"Now," she began "If you're going to be using the X-Geneous Atom Nullifier there are some things you are going to need to know and do."

Rogue nodded numbly, and as an after thought put her hand on her hip.

"The X-GAN is not a permanent solution," the woman began to pace around Rogue, her accent echoing superiorly across the room. "It is a stasis that will help you on the path to a stronger gain."

"What?" said Rogue. She did not like being talked to like a young girl. "So it's gonna work for a few days and then go faulty?"

The woman's lips thinned and her nostrils flared, although she did a very good job of keeping her calm. Indeed she spoke in a very tranquil voice.

"No," she said "It blocks the X-Gene until such time as the X-Gene becomes immune to it. In the past this has been between three months and two years. In that time you will be given the bodily peace to be able to reign in your powers for yourself."

"Oh," Rogue replied. It was all she could think to say. The woman's explanation certainly gave her something more to think about.

"I will be helping you, Rogue," said the Professor, wheeling out from behind his desk. "Together we will help you control your powers, and finally, sustain that control."

They all stared at each other for a moment. You know that kind of stare. Where looking at each other you could all feel the nearly tangible excitement in the room, the adrenaline that would pump through your veins in preparation for a change.

"We will install in the morning," Dr. McTaggert dismissed Rogue. Turning back to her comfortable chair she directed her next statement to the Professor. "I think shortly before tea will be lovely, don't you?"

"Of course," he replied warmly.

"Hold on here," said Rogue, waving her arms once or twice. "What th' hell do ya'll mean_ installation_?"

The woman turned halfway and lifted an eyebrow at Rogue. Glancing at the Professor her expression said that she was obviously going to let the Professor handle the response.

"All it is is a metal circlet that will more than likely be on your ankle or wrist, Rogue. It is absolutely nothing to worry about," he gave her an encouraging smile. "And you'll get a better look at it tomorrow. It is late and I think you should turn in, I know Dr. McTaggert would probably like to get rested?"

"Yes," Dr. McTaggert answered the Professors half question. Of course the Professor already knew the answer.

Rogue knew she had been clearly dismissed; twice even, so taking this and the information she had just learned she decided to leave the room. Not bothering to bid either of them goodnight she walked out in typical fashion, the door latching behind her.

One thought, among the many she could possibly think of, pervaded across her mind as she climbed the stairs with all the energy of a youth.

'When the hell is tea time?'

X-_X-_X

"Oh yes, Charles," the Scottish accent said, clearly pleased. "She will be quite perfect for the X-GAN."

"Yes," Charles Xavier replied "I have a lot of faith in Rogue; I believe she will be revolutionary."

"And hopefully," replied Moira "The first person to successfully use the X-GAN and retain control of their powers."

**X-_X-_X**

_**The first time I updated this chapter it had been an entire year since the third chapter, so I'm pleased that I now update this story at least once every couple of months. Like stated previously this story will be over before the year is out. (Hopefully, lol)**_

_**I decided it was time to finally edit this chapter. Not all that needed to be fixed is fixed, but as happens when you return to material that is years old, I find that I can't change certain things, or end up risking the plot line that was established in the past and the one that has been developed for the future. **_

_**Did anyone catch my school mistake again? I hadn't realized it occurred in this chapter as well.**_

_**Please review if you feel like doing so, it's always much appreciated! I love reading the thoughts of my readers.**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, events referenced, or fictional places used to bring the plot of this story to life. **

**It's been over a year…sorry.**

**Chapter Six**

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**X-_X-_X**

Rogue still didn't know when tea time was the next morning when she awoke twisted in a knot of nerves. She rose, glanced at Kitty's sprawled out form, and left her room in a subtle flurry of movement. She washed and dressed that morning in a somewhat daze; her life was tuning in and out like a bad radio.

Everybody she passed by in the hallways she felt paranoia towards. Would she be like the majority of them soon? Able to control their mutation and go about their daily lives with easy grace? Would she be able to shake hands with a new friend or hug an old one? So many thoughts thrilled through her head. Until she was on her way to the medical lab she didn't truly believe that what was happening to her was actually happening.

No one truly looked at her in the hallways. They were used to her going about her own solitary ways. Soon she'd have the ability to interact with anyone she wished to, however there was also the question of whether she would actually wish to.

"Morning, Doc," Rogue mumbled with more false benevolence than she intended to. The doors closed air tight behind her and her heart gave a heavy thump in the process.

"Ah, good morning Rogue," McCoy replied with great optimism. "How are you faring?"

"Ah'm okay, Doc," Rogue replied. "I'm supposed to be down here for Dr. McTaggert's thing right?"

Rogue felt anxious now, she didn't see Moira or the Professor and she wondered at how the process was going to go.

"I'm afraid you are slightly early my dear," Hank replied. His large blue face twisted with some concern. "I believe Dr. McTaggert plans to time this operation so that she can celebrate with tea."

"Operation?" Rogue asked, she put some faulty strength into her voice. "I do not believe that Ah was told about an operation?"

Beast waved his hand through the air. "Oh I'm so sorry, my dear. I simply meant this play, this scene, this little plan of ours, nothing more."

"Huh," was all Rogue replied, putting a hand to her hip and turning around. She walked around the lab a little and looked at the instruments on the tables.

"Wait," said Rogue, her accent drawling. She turned back around to look at Dr. McCoy. "When tha hell is tea time?"

Hank chuckled jovially. "I'm afraid it's just a couple hours from now. Dr. McTaggert like to take tea at the same hour that those in Scotland will be taking tea, no matter the time change. Tea is most generally in the afternoon."

"O.K." replied Rogue, she waved a hand in the air. "So Ah can go right? It's not like Ah'm needed in an empty lab."

"Actually, Rogue," began Hank. He took his glasses off and removed a clipboard from one of the stools stationed at his lab tables. "I'd like to speak with you for a few moments."

He motioned for her to take a seat on the stool near him.

"No thanks," Rogue said stiffly. "What dya need to talk to meh about?"

Beast sighed deeply. "The X-GAN is an instrument."

"Yeah?" asked Rogue. She was hoping that this conversation wasn't going to be some philosophical learning experience. She wanted the bare facts. What is going to happen to her? That's what she wants to know.

"What I mean to say, Rogue, is that this isn't going to last forever-."

"Dr. McTaggert already told me that it evolves to your body after awhile," Rogue's tone was bordering on petulance. She was starting to feel queasy over this whole ordeal, and the strong willed woman did not like feeling queasy over anything.

"Rogue," Beast sighed heavily. "Please let me finish, what I'm trying to convey to you is that while I know how technology can evolve and be used, as I am a scientist, I also know how it can fail."

Rogue remained silent. He wanted her to be silent after all.

"I don't want you to adjust to this machine and forget about working on your own mind,"

Beast looked at her with what must have been a world of compassion. Rogue didn't want it though. She had already thought this process through over and over again, at least what she knew of it.

"Don't worry, Doc," she replied. "I know what I have to do. I'd do almost anything to get back what Ah've missed out on for years."

"I know you will do good, young Rogue," Beast said as she moved towards the doors.

"Thanks, Doc."

Beast watched her leave the lab with an almost indiscernible look on his face. However there was pride in his eyes. He knew that the girl, woman rather, would do great things with the world.

X-_X-_X

Rogue emerged from the medic lab and into the more traveled part of the house with less than enthusiasm. She didn't want to wait around waiting for Moira to be ready for her. She was so anxious she couldn't decide what she wanted to do next. She ended up wandering in the entrance hall.

"Rogue!" suddenly came a shout in the form of an all too familiar peppy voice. Kitty was descending from the stairs still in her sleeping pajamas. She was mussed up prettily and looked like she was ready to enjoy the day.

"Kitty," greeted Rogue distractedly.

"Like, what are you doing up so early?" Kitty asked. "Sleep in once in a while!"

"I have a thing this morning," replied Rogue, she refrained from wringing her hands.

"Oh?" asked Kitty. "Another session with the Professor?"

"You could say that," replied Rogue, she followed Kitty into the kitchen.

"Yeah?" Kitty replied. "Kurt going with you again?"

Rogue stopped short. Every so often Kurt liked to go with her to the sessions, to offer his brotherly support. Normally he's end up annoying her so much with all his concern that she didn't get anywhere's with the professor anyway.

Kitty didn't mind Rogue not responding. She continued her thought anyway. "I bet you, like, could think of somebody else to come to your sessions, hmm?"

Rogue stared Kitty down with her eyes. "What?"

"I'm saying that I bet you would, like, like it if Gambit came to your sessions," Kitty grinned obnoxiously after saying that.

"Shh!" Rogue motioned fiercely. "No one here knows besides pretty much you!"

"Really?" Kitty asked absently. "I guess that makes sense, I haven't, like, told anybody about Piotr and I either. I don't think many people would be willing to handle it."

"Yeah," replied Rogue. She eyed the door.

"Wait," Kitty scrunched her eye brows as she licked yogurt off her spoon. "You haven't told Kurt?"

"No," replied Rogue quickly.

"Really? Dude, Kurt's going to freak!" Kitty squealed and looked at Rogue with melodramatically terrified eyes.

Rogue remained silent. Why did Kitty have to bring that up?

"You should probably talk to him, Rogue," said Kitty, wagging her spoon at Rogue.

"Yeah," she replied. "Maybe I'll go do that right now."

Rogue released a breath when she left the kitchen. She did have to talk to Kurt; however Kitty had given her an idea. And while she hated to admit it this idea would make her feel better.

She was going to see if she could get Gambit into the mansion while she was getting fixed up with the machine. Kitty did give good thought to the fact that Rogue would feel better with somebody she felt close to there. Also the fact that Gambit would prove a good distraction was good.

X-_X-_X

"Kitty! Kitty!"

Kitty squealed and accidentally phased her hand through the jar of jam she'd been holding. It fell to the linoleum ground with a decisive shatter. She snapped her fingers and ruffled her nose in consternation.

"Kurt!" She yelled back at the blue furred boy who had just entered the kitchen.

"What?" He paused a moment, and stood still, his German voice resounding of the kitchen. "Kitty! There's no time for that! Rogue just told me something very important!"

Kitty looked at Kurt, and then raised an eyebrow. "Kurt, what did Rogue, like, tell you?"

"Kitty," Kurt came close to her, his eyes wide and his blue fur ruffled uncomfortably. He began speaking in a hushed whisper. "Rogue, mein sister, is dating…Gambit!"

Kitty really tried, valiantly, to hold her hilarity in at Kurt's shock, but it really was in vain. Kurt glared at her as doubled over in giggles, though was mollified when she accidentally phased herself through the counter.

"It's not funny, Kitty!" Kurt exclaimed. "She could get hurt, or injured! The professor must know at once!"

"Are you saying Rogue can't take care of herself?" asked Kitty. "Because I'm pretty sure she, like, can."

Kurt paused. "Well…nein. However what if he's using her?"

Kitty rolled hers eyes. "Listen Kurt, don't like, worry about it. It's Rogue business and I get your worried but you have to let her do what she wants to do, okay?"

Kurt didn't answer, he bounced on the balls of his feet, his tail twitching nervously. It was obvious his concern and affection for Rogue was great, no matter how misguided it may be. Kitty sighed and walked forward some.

"I'm going to go out of the kitchen," said Kitty slowly. "Then I'm going to find Rogue, then, like, I'm going to have a conversation with Rogue, and when I get back here to, like, finish my breakfast you should be calmly some where's else."

Kurt scowled and nodded. He did not like the most recent turn of events in his life.

Kitty smiled triumphantly and yawned her way out of the kitchen. She mildly wondered where Logan was, she hadn't seen him all morning. As she pushed on the kitchen door, not bothering to phase out she though of something positively wicked and turned around for a moment.

"Oh, Kurt? I'm dating Colossus."

"Vhat!?"

X-_X-_X

"Rogue!" squealed Kitty phasing through the bathroom door unmethodically.

"Kit!" half shouted Rogue, dropping her toothbrush with a small jump.

"Kurt's, like, about to jump out of his fur!" Kitty laughed.

Rogue shifted uncomfortably. "He's my brother, Ah can't just not share things with him."

"I know," chortled Kitty. "It's just-,"

"Ah'm thinking about trying to get Gambit over here for my lil' appointment," Rogue brushed on in a somewhat sterner voice. She visibly steadied herself against the sink, and her arms itched like she wished she could cross them across herself.

"Really?" asked Kitty, she phased fully through the door. She stood sort of unsurely, her eyes open a little wider.

"Well, not, um…it's a lil' ridiculous Kit, never mind," Rogue shook her head absently and turned her head towards the mirror. She had a faint rose tint to her cheeks.

Kitty stood up straight and pointed her finger at Rogue. "You want him here, as like, support right?"

"Yeah," Rogue admitted with a sigh. "Ah know, it's clingy and flaky, an' all…"

"No, no, no!" Kitty said waving her hands; Rogue took a step back away from her. "It's not Rogue, I promise! Just because you think he might, like, be good for you here doesn't mean it's like a flaky thing. I promise Rogue, it'd be nothing but a good thing if you asked Gambit to come!"

Rogue looked at her a little doubtful. She wasn't the sort to act in the way that she presumed someone like Kitty would act. She felt like it'd be nice to see Gambit while she was receiving the construct but she felt a little foolish for feeling as such.

"Look, Rogue," Kitty said, she put her hands on Rogue's shoulders and didn't mind when she shifted uncomfortably. "Call Gambit, I think he'd love being asked to come over. Never mind the fact of what you think this makes you look like. Having Gambit come over will make things public with the other X-Men, something I think Gambit would be thrilled to do."

"We'll see, Kit," Rogue said, shrugging out of Kitty's grasp. "We'll see."

X-_X-_X

The grand staircase in the X-Men mansion is a grand structure. The wood is solid and sturdy, a great thing when the foundations are put to a test. The basic outlet of the descending stairs a late seventeenth century French design that Charles Xavier especially enjoys. The great structure is a tool that is walked on every day, and it has witnessed interesting and monumental things in its day.

The entrance of an enemy onto its premises, one whose reception is not taken as enemy, is however a new occurrence for that particular wood.

Gambit was nervous, and actually surprised that he made it have way up the staircase before being assaulted with the presence of hostile X-Men.

"Gambit!" Cyclops stopped, startled at the top of the stairs, having been walking from the boys wing to meet Jean in the girl's. He shoved back, flattening himself against the wall, a hand on his sunglasses, he was ready to remove them and enter into battle with Gambit if the need arose.

"Merde," muttered Gambit, he looked around him mildly anxious to find some way to better his situation. Perhaps he should have rang the doorbell as opposed to his nonchalant walking in on the premises. "Now listen to Gambit? O.K.? Gambit supposed to be here, homme, and-."

"Enough," Cyclops said, he was uncertain if he could take the Cajun on his own and he began to call out with his mind. If only Jean or the professor could hear him they could activate the rest of the X-Men. While there hadn't been fights in a while an enemy was certainly not a guest on the premises.

"Look here, y' have no need to spoil y' big boy undies, no?" Gambit raised his hands up in a peace motion. It was all tedious to him, except Rogue, Rogue was the one thing here not tedious to him. "Rogie asked Gambit to come up here and-."

At that moment Gambit was cut off once more as Jean came sprinting from the adjoining girls wing, a hand held to her head. All at once he was thrown up into the air, where he wavered for a minute before being tossed ungracefully onto the floor of the entryway.

He swore and uprooted himself in a more graceful movement. More X-Men began to pour out from the halls. "Gambit you have gotten y'self into sometin' now, no?"

He looked around himself, at this rate he was going to have to flee the premises and sneak in. He was already late, and didn't want to quite take that alternative. They'd find out he was there again anyway. He really wished that he knew exactly where he was supposed to be heading, he might have a strategy that way.

However Gambit knew there was going to be some major obstacles when the next gentlemen made his appearance.

Wolverine stopped at the top of the stairs, his gaze taking in the scene with unconcealed disgust. He looked down at the Cajun and rolled his eyes. He crossed his arms and heaved a breath. "Right. Iron Ass's errand boy's supposed to be here."

The rest of the students looked around confusedly while they processed what Wolverine had growled at them. How could an enemy be allowed into the mansion, the trail head of all their work and power? Some of them looked towards Cyclops for guidance. He was a good leader; there were those that admired him.

"Alright," said Wolverine louder. "All of you! Out! You have danger room sessions to get ready for, all of you!"

Gambit never thought in all of his burglaring life he'd be glad to have Wolverine growl orders into air. He approached the stairs, adding an easy smile to his sarcastic lips. "Wolvie, how pleasant t' see you again, no?"

"Don't push it, bub," Wolverine growled back, extending his claws. "You're here because stripes wants ya' here, no other reason."

"Ah, Logan, thank you very much," came a more calm and eloquent voice. "Gambit, I am glad you decided to come, however upstairs is not where we are headed, downstairs actually."

"Professeur," Gambit murmered. "Merci."

"We'll be taking an elevator to the medical laboratory," the professor responded, smiling. "I believe young Rogue is already down there."

Gambit fell in stride along side the professor. The red headed woman standing beside the professor caught his interest. He hadn't scene her before, and she certainly seemed like a newer addition to the mansion. Rogue's wonder doctor perhaps?

"Enchante," Gambit said, nodding his head towards the woman in a bowing motion.

"No need, Cajun," the woman responded. She kept her eyes on the hallway in front of them, not bothering to shift her gaze. "You're as charming as your father."

"Hahn," muttered Gambit. "A friend of N'Awlins then?"

"Hardly," snorted the fine Scottish lady. "You'll find that my technology is highly sought after. By those paying for it and by those that _aren't_."

"Ah," Gambit managed to reply. Wolverine snorted from behind them, making Gambit worry about the safety of his spine. If it wasn't for the lovely and enchanting southern belle waiting for him, Gambit would certainly not stay any longer in this snake den of sorts.

"No need to worry, Mr. LeBeau," said the Professor as they all loaded into a spacious elevator hidden in the wood of the wall. "We'll be there in a moment."

"Dieu, Merci."

X-_X-_X

"Young lady," Moira said unkindly. "This is a piece of technology that is almost alien to this planet. This is your responsibility and your honor now."

The red headed doctor was holding up a delicate looking circlet. It was about an inch thick and seemed very malleable and flexible. Rogue looked at it and realized that in reality she didn't feel anything towards it. The day was going by as it usually did and this foreign object didn't instill anything special in her. She only felt nervous; there was no miraculous surge of power or energy.

"This will require all the dedication you can muster and all the hard work you can perform."

"Ah got it," said Rogue somewhat tersely. She had been sitting through the same mock lecture the last quarter of an hour. It was time to do what she had committed herself to doing. It was time that she learn to do what she could never do.

It was an honest, pleasant surprise to see Gambit descend with the professor and the Scottish doctor. She hadn't thought he would pick up on her somewhat subtle (and in her opinion: pitiful) plea for comfort. He was a rogue, as she _rogue_ it was a strength and a calm to have him besides her.

There wasn't really a crowd of other people present. The Professor was smiling softly from across the room, his wheelchair molded into an observationally resplendent corner. Beast was monitoring Rogue's heartbeat and brain function (something she thought was wholly unnecessary). Remy was besides her, and she was upon the cold steel of the flat center table.

Kurt had intended to stay with her in the beginning however several factors led to his some what skittish exit. Moira had immediately taken a shining to his fur (as she had to Beast) and had suggested that he likewise take part in the experiment as well. Unkeen on the idea he had looked to Rogue for solace but had however been unable to not feel awkward around the Cajun.

He left with sweat on his brow; Rogue had to stifle a laugh. It was the only enjoyment since she's entered the medical lab. Kitty had attempted to cajole Rogue into letting her remain in attendance but her flighty and flaky movements had a more nauseating effect on Rogue than a calming one.

"I am, unfortunately, unable to remain stateside for any preliminary findings we have, child," Moira said she had slipped on gloves and was holding the construct with a more delicate hand. "However Dr. McCoy assures me that he will be able to keep me updated as to your progress and the constructs."

Rogue let out a breath (the professor letting a small grin appear) she had been concerned that she'd be subject to McTaggert's prodding and poking. She was relieved that Beast would be the one that would be there to help with it from the medical point of things.

Gambit looked strangely serious as he watched the female doctor in front of him and the device that she was holding. His aunt Mattie had never taught the children in her care to rely on many contemporary medicines and experimentation hadn't lent a kind hand to his feelings either. He would watch it's use on Rogue closely.

Rogue looked over at him slowly, as if sensing his thoughts. She was more intent on getting some sort of feeling from his expression than his thoughts. She was ready for this doing to be done.

"O.K." Rogue said, she waved a hand through the air. "Let's get this show on the road, Ah wanna' leave with my youth."

Beast chuckled and Moira's expression didn't change.

"Of course, Rogue," the Professor chimed. "We of course don't want to take up anymore time than required."

Rogue looked at him as if expecting his statement to be some seedling of sarcasm but the polite smile on his face didn't give any indication of such. "Thanks," she said, somewhat grudgingly.

"Ankle or wrist," Moira inquired.

"What?" asked Rogue, somewhat caught of guard.

"Do you want the construct on your wrist or on your ankle," she said again. "It is not that hard of a choice."

Rogue ignored the snobbish tone and responded "Ankle."

Moira reached forward and grabbed Rogue calf before Rogue could offer it to her. She pushed Rogue's pant leg up and grabbed her bare flesh.

"Hm," Rogue started to speak and stopped. The doctor did have gloves on. Rogue took a couple breaths to convince herself that it didn't matter.

Gambit eyed her.

"So," he said almost coyly. "That's got to go right on th' skin no?"

Moira looked up at him. "Of course."

She bent back down to being wrapping the flexible band around Rogue's leg. "Of course it does to have the full effect."

Rogue nodded.

"Hmm, I expect it does probably make you feel uncomfortable, child," she continued on.

Rogue looked up with a bit of surprise. It almost sounded like an apology. Gambit eyed her and grinned. Rogue smiled back.

"Done."

"What?" asked three voices at once. Beast, Rogue, and Gambit were all surprised at the speed of implementation.

"It's a simple procedure," replied Moira as if she were speaking to plebeians. She stripped her gloves off.

Gambit let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"More preparation that needed," mused Beast, he looked at his monitors doubtfully. There was no visible change in Rogue's stats. "How do you feel Rogue?"

Everyone in the room turned to look at Rogue, though Remy looked on with a vaguely concerned expression on his face. Rogue was looking around and down at herself with an anxious look.

"Professor?" she asked, her normally sassy voice subdued and worries. "I don't feel any different, I don't think it's working!"

Gambit stepped closer to her, the mild alarm and panic in Rogue's voice edging him on. What did she mean it wasn't working?

"There's no need to be concerned, Rogue," replied the Professor, he too had come forward in a speedily manner. "It's not a cure, it's an aid. It will respond as you respond."

"When you attempt to subdue your powers, The X-GAN with attempt to subdue your powers," added Dr. McTaggert. "The X-Gene does not need to be cured; I would not develop a cure for it."

"Thank you," said Rogue.

Gambit reached forward and wrapped his arm around her, interjecting a snappy comment.

Rogue laughed heavily and hopped off the table with grace, her pant leg obscuring the X-GAN.

"Time to get going, swamp rat?" she half asked, dragging on his trenchcoat.

"Lead the way, Mi'lady," Gambit quipped. He saluted Dr. McTaggert cockily and Rogue nodded to the professor.

She turned. "Thanks Doc," she said to Moira. "I mean it."

Moira let out a soft smile. "Tea, Charles?"

"Why yes," Charles replied. Heading towards the elevator behind Rogue and Gambit. "Would you like to join us Hank?"

"In half a moment, Professor," replied Dr. McCoy. He switched monitors off that had started beeping with Rogue's departure and typing on others.

The professor smiled.

"Rogue," he said. "This starts your future."

Rogue said nothing, she couldn't. Her throat was constricting and she was smiling from ear to ear.

X-_X-_X

It was much later on into the afternoon when Gambit made an important decision and an important stop on his departure of the mansion. He didn't need to use sensory perception to know that the Professor was alone, and the Professor didn't need telepathy to know what Gambit wanted to talk about.

"You really are a Gambit, Mr. LeBeau," said the Professor.

"I've made an important decision," replied Remy. He was standing straight, and slouch of his gone.

"What do you need from me, Remy?" asked the Professor.

Remy didn't note the casual use of his first name, but he did make it a point to look the Professor straight in the eye. "Remy need yur' solace."

"Just my solace?" asked the Professor.

"Non," replied Remy. "I should be sayin' this ol' swap rat here needs y' to do something much more. Remy's gonna join the X-Men."

The Professor wasn't startled.

"Gambit don't have no contracts anymore," Gambit went on. "Not wit' Magneto, not wit' no one. Gambit is free to do as he damn well please."

"The team will have a hard time accepting you," said the Professor.

"Gambit don't care," came the immediate response. "Rogue is gonna' need me, she's going to need "I" and a lot more besides."

"I was hoping you were going to say what was on your mind," replied the Professor.

Gambit remained silent. It was an easy question of his. Was the Professor going to let him into the sacred circle of his? Or were a life full of misdeads going to keep him out?

"Gambit, Remy LeBeau," began the Professor. "This institution will never turn away a mutant in need of shelter, or a mutant who strives to do what is right. I only have one response to you: Welcome to the X-Men."

Gambit slouched with relief and turned to the door. His trench coat flared out behind him. "Remy'll be back," was his parting line. He threw a hand over his head, and the Queen of Hearts floated over to the Professors desk. "Remy'll be back soon."

The Professor smiled as the door to his office closed.

"Excellent hand Gambit."

**X-_X-_X**

**It's been awhile my friends, I apologize.**

**This story has a plot, and I have finally discovered that plot. Thank you for your reads and reviews, the next chapter will not be so long in coming.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Trapped In a Bottle **

**Chapter Six**

**Enjoy.**

**X-_X-_X**

The sweat was annoying her as it dripped down her temple. It was unavoidable however; the exertion that she was putting out was an incredible force. She'd never worked so hard for anything in her life as she was working at that moment.

Rogue was concentrating as hard as she could, entering the locks in her mind and breaking the chains across her consciousness. She needed to subdue her powers, so many things relied on it, and she most definitely wanted it.

Logan was sitting in front of her, the professor to her side. Both men were staring at her with different expressions, Logan could hear her heart beat, and could feel her tension. He wanted her to succeed almost as much as she did, and he was willing to sit there and be the guinea pig for her to do it.

The professor was on the outskirts of her mind, willing her through the process, and allowing her a safe haven when she reached a particular tireless lock. They'd been at this process for more than quarter of an hour, and barely anybody had moved. Rogue had tried touching Logan twice already, and both times she had ended with his thoughts in her head.

It was time for another try; third try's the charm after all.

Rogue opened her eyes, they were somewhat cloudy. It was as if she were concentrating on two separate things at once, which she was. She was holding her mind open, holding it wide so that her powers couldn't clog the channels she had cleared; she was willing them back, willing them to thin out in the open space of her mind. She was also concentrating on what was before her, looking out into the reality outside of her mind.

Logan looked at her, and reached out a hand. He did not mind doing what he was doing. He wanted to help the gal that always seemed to be the same cut as him. Both knew how cut it in the world and they both relied on certain things to do it. He wanted her to be able to rely on what her mind could give her.

"O.K." she breathed out "I'm ready."

The professor nodded, and Logan extended his hand further out. He watched her carefully as she grasped it, her eyes weren't fluttering and she seemed to not be breaking in her stress of her powers. The professor smiled.

At first Logan thought they had accomplished the goal they had set out for. He was ready for relief to flood through him as he didn't see Rogue's powers immediately take affect. He was ready to be proud that they had accomplished their aspirations in such a short amount of time! However the next few moments passed and Logan started to be able to feel the familiar drain.

It gradually sucked at his soul; first looking towards his mutant powers and then his life force…he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Damnit!" Rogue swore. She looked down at Logan's slumped form. "Ah thought ah had it."

"So did I, Rogue," said the professor. "You're mind was incredibly open and free of the chains of your mutant powers."

Rogue let out a disgusted noise. "So practicing this today hasn't done anything!"

The professor put an arm to her shoulder. "Do not be discouraged Rogue, this is only our first day of practice, we estimated that it would take you some months at least."

"Ah know," acquiesced Rogue, "Still, ah wish that ah could know this was going good."

"It is, stripes," said Logan, picking himself up and cracking his next. "Boy, always one hell of a ride."

Rogue disregarded his mutter and stared at him. "What do ya' mean 'it is?'"

"Exactly what I side," Logan shook himself a bit. "That power of yours didn't start draining me immediately and it didn't take as quickly as it normally does either. You definitely slowed it."

"Excellent," beamed the Professor.

"Ah did?" said Rogue. She let out a happy whoop and stood. She looked down at her ankle. "Maybe this gizmo is doing its job?"

"It is you that are making it work," said the Professor. "And we are certainly progressing faster than we estimated if you've already slowed your powers on the first day."

Rogue grinned back, Logan did as well. This student babysitter thing hadn't seemed great at first, but living in the mansion was proving to have its highlights to Logan. "Good job, kid."

He patted her on the back and followed her from the room and into the hallway, the Professor trailing behind them. It was early afternoon and they had a danger room session before dinner.

"Ah, Mister LeBeau," said the Professor, he was the first one too look down the hall at the approaching man.

"Afternoon, _professeur_," he said, nodding his head. He smiled brilliantly at Rogue, ignoring the Wolverine's glare. "How are you, _chere_?"

"Ah'm good, Cajun," she smiled back. "Wait until I tell you what happened."

Remy looked back at her with a winning expression and Rogue only smiled wider grabbing him by the arm and pulling him towards the other end of the hall.

"Just a moment," said the Professor. He wheeled towards them a bit.

"What's wrong," asked Rogue. "It's alright if Remy's here's now right?"

"Of course," the Professor smiled, softly and secretly. "I just want to check with Mr. LeBeau, that he managed to transport everything alright."

"Everything?" asked Rogue, looking between the two.

"_Oui,_" said Remy to the Professor "Remy all set up."

Wolverine snorted when Rogue repeated her question. The professor smiled and left in the opposite direction.

"All my belongings," replied Gambit to Rogue. "I had to move them into the mansion, _oui_?"

"For what?" Rogue lightly glared at him. "Speak up, cajun."

Gambit smirked. "Remy an X-Men now, _chere_,"

Rogue gapped like a fish for a few moments, attempting to stutter out a response. She most certainly had never thought of that response, she'd never thought of anything of the sort happening.

"Remember, we have DR at four!" Logan said, he brushed past them towards the stairs at the end of the hall. "And that mean you too Gumbo!"

Remy waved a hand in response.

"Why'd ya' go and do somethin' like that?" Rogue finally said.

"Remy have many reasons, _chere_," he said. "Remy don't have no contracts, wit' anyone. Remy only have his life in Bayville, _hahn_?"

Rogue continued to stare at him. In response he gathered her closer to him. "Remy decided that while he here for Rogue, he might as well be _here_ as well."

"Ya' moved into the mansion for me?" asked Rogue, disbelieving.

"Pretty much," laughed Remy. "Good idea, no?"

Rogue laughed too. "Excellent idea, for a swamp rat."

"Hmm," Remy murmured. "We need to get ready for DR, correct? This is gonna' be Remy's first."

At Rogue's suddenly shocked face the idea of DR did not seem to be a good idea. "They're gonna' tear ya' apart!"

X-_X-_X

Rogue was already in DR when Logan, The Professor, and Remy walked in. The Professor had requested that Remy wait to enter until they had everyone assembled, to make it easier to explain to everyone.

Rogue looked around wearily at the assembled X-Men. Scott straightened immediately when the trio walked in and Kurt moved towards her somewhat possessively. There was whispering going on behind her.

The Professor began speaking "I don't think I have to introduce Mr. LeBeau," he said. "And I think you all have already heard about some of the things surrounding him lately."

Many of the students looked at Rogue.

"And I have a small announcement," The Professor smiled.

Rogue glared at some of the surrounding crowd, quieting them.

"Mr. LeBeau will be joining our team," The Professor almost looked as if he expected this announcement to be met with no protest. Logan fidgeted a bit at his side, watching the mixed expressions cover the students' faces.

"All right!" Shouted Kitty, hopping into the air. "Rogue, that is, like, so cool!"

Rogue laughed a bit, eyeing the others "Yah it is, Kit."

"Professor," spluttered out Cyclops.

"You can't be serious," finished Jean.

Many other protests came from the other students. "What about Magneto?"

"How can we trust him!"

"Professor, he tried to kill me!"

Rogue glowered around at the students but it seemed to have no effect now. She turned her head from side to side. Everyone was shouting, it was making her feel terrible.

"Like calm down," said Kitty, looking around her. "They're not our enemies anymore."

"Please," said the Professor. He glanced at Gambit, who had a strained fixated look on his face. "If I have deemed him O.K. that he joins the team I think you can trust that he is fine."

Logan not so subtlety released his claws and glared at the students, pointedly.

"But," Scott said stretching his arms out "How can you be _certain_?"

"Scott, please," the Professor raised a hand. "You will be leading the exercise today so please incorporate Gambit into the exercise accordingly."

Scott looked down and at the rest of the students. Jean touched him on the shoulder and it was fairly obvious they were having some sort of telepathic conversation.

"Please," said Kurt, he touched Rogues arm briefly. "Gambit has done nothing to harm us since Magneto disappeared, yeah?"

"Thanks Kurt," muttered Rogue. The Professor motioned for Gambit to join the group. He gave Logan a heavy look and then turned to exit the room.

"Alright!" shouted Logan moving forward "Let's get this dance started!"

Jean released Scotts shoulder and Scott tentatively turned. "You heard the man! Let's get going!"

There was immediate action.

X-_X-_X

"No!" Kurt grunted. He leapt from his perch to where Gambit was nimbly attempting to avoid the attacks that were thrown his way. They had all been split into four teams, and it seemed like three of those teams were all currently focused on taking out the fourth.

"Come on, man," Kurt anxiously grabbed him.

They reappeared the next moment behind a large boulder that was Rogue's somewhat hidden solace. "They're killing us, mein gott!"

"Yeah," said Rogue, she was watching the area.

"Remy t'ink they're gunning for him, no?" Gambit took a couple breaths. The X-Men going at him in majority was a difficult task to defend against.

Rogue let out a rather impressive growl. "I'm going to take out a captain," she said.

"Make sure zey don't get you!" Kurt said his yellow eyes wide. "You are our captain!"

"Really Kurt I hadn't noticed," she ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "They're acting like jerks!"

Gambit laid a hand on her shoulder. "You go for Jubilee, no? Gambit gonna' take out ol' One-Eye."

Rogue nodded. "Kurt, drop me right above Jubilee. She was hiding by that really tale tree by the swamp."

Kurt gulped. That was near where they had just come from. "Ja."

"See you on the outside, chere!" Gambit grinned and gunned from their spot, a swatch of cards in his hand.

"Let's go, Kurt," Rogue said. Kurt grabbed her and the next second she was free falling towards Jubilee. Jubilee didn't even know she was being attacked; her guards had been drawn off to attempt to take down Gambit.

"Gotcha!" Rogue shouted, she restrained from giving a whoop, and wrapped her hands around Jubilee's neck.

"Damnit," Jubilee muttered. She fell to the ground, and Rogue hastily moved her behind the tree and away from the swamp.

"What next?" Rogue asked herself. She crouched behind some brush and hastily surveyed the area. The other members of Jubilee's team would have been 'neutralized' at their captain's defeat. She settled for waiting the moment out, it wouldn't do her teammates good if she got taken out.

'I hope Gambit's doing O.K." she thought to herself. She was going to have some words with a few people when this was over.

X-_X-_X

"Come on, Scotty," Gambit taunted. "Come a lil' closer, yeah?"

Cyclops tensed and glared at the man across from him. He had climbed the cliff behind him, and in this simulation Cyclops had no where else left for him to turn to. He was trying avidly to avoid hand to hand with the man.

"What are you even doing here Gambit?" asked Cyclops, stalling.

Gambit grinned. "At the moment, Gambit kickin' your ass, no?"

Cyclops scoffed. "You know what I mean."

Gambit's grin faded "Gambit here because Gambit here, it don't concern you."

"If you're here to take advantage of the Professor's kindness," began Scott.

Gambit lunged forward. He managed to grab Scotts arm and twirl him to the other side of the cliff, a card at his feet making him lose his footing and become dependent on Gambit's weight.

"Gambit don't have to listen to psychopaths no more," he said. "Gambit don't have to terrorize _no one_, Gambit is here to be with the people he care about and to have some peace for once, _oui homme_?"

"Are you certain you're telling the truth, Gambit?" Cyclops grabbed him by the forearms and dragged his face closer to his own, making Gambit lean over the cliff. "Is Rogue and peace enough for you?"

Remy glared at him a moment and then dragged him back up onto the cliff plateau. "Rogue be more than enough for _me_," he said "Peace is a welcome side effect."

Cyclops looked at him a moment. Red and black eyes meeting his gaze straight on. "We'll see Gambit."

Gambit smiled in response and put his bo staff to Cyclops throat.

The simulation faded around them.

"That was quick," Gambit muttered to himself, he stood, keeping the staff to Cyclops throat.

Cyclops looked around himself, varying members of his team were scattered around the room, in varying degrees of happiness. Rogue was approaching them.

"What happened, _chere_?" Gambit asked Rogue as she got nearer.

Rogue laughed. "After I took Jubilee out, Kurt tripped and took Jean out."

Gambit took in Rogue's laughing visage and laughed as well.

Scott looked around, that would certainly account for the simulation ending as early as it did. He looked up and the two standing above him. He watched in quiet fascination as Gambit's face lit up with Rogue's. When she smiled, he dazzled. Scott quickly looked away, his thoughts running wild.

"Ya' ever gonna' let him up sugar?" Rogue said teasingly. The next moment Scott felt the weight leave him and he was hauled into the air.

"Sorry, _homme_," Gambit grinned smugly at him.

Cyclops nodded. He saw Jean approaching them, nursing a bruise already, and glanced once more at the two in front of him. They way they fit…it was uncanny. Cyclops only pondered it a moment more and then repeated his words to Gambit from earlier. "We'll see."

Gambit nodded and turned around to hug Rogue close. "We kicked ass today, no?"

Rogue laughed, it attracted several looks. "Yes we did, swamp rat."

Gambit smirked and slung an arm around her shoulder, hustling them from the room and after the other students. "We have Gambit's first dinner amongst the X-Men to look forward to, _cherie_."

Rogue mock groaned but nonetheless followed the man from the room. It was certainly going to be an interesting meal.

X-_X-_X

"I don't know, Scott," said Jean. They were walking outside after dinner.

"I honestly don't think that he's a threat anymore, Jean," replied Scott. He shook his head a bit and sighed, looking up at the sky.

"What made you think that?" asked Jean. "What made you rethink him?"

"It's just," Scott began "It's just the way he looks at Rogue."

Jean remained silent. Her brows furrowed a bit. She could read the detailed thoughts from Scott, and she could read how he was trying to put them in order.

"Just," he tried again. "I mean look at it."

He stopped and turned around, looking her straight in the eyes. "Look at what it looks like from my mind."

Jean closed her eyes, and touched his forehead. Immediately she saw the image that Scott had seen earlier, from his position on the danger room floor. She saw Gambit light up at the image of Rogue, and she saw Rogue softer than she'd ever seen her. She saw the tenderness between them.

"I see," she murmured.

"Jean," Scott said seriously. "We're the future of the X-Men, we're the ones that are going to have to uphold the Professors ideals and the thoughts of all the others when it comes time for us to lead, when our generation becomes _the _generation."

"Yes," agreed Jean.

"The Professor obviously believes that he's okay," said Scott. "And I think we should too."

"You're right Scott," said Jean, she shook her head. "Everyone is acting ridiculous. It's our duty as X-Men to foster growth and forgiveness."

"Exactly," replied Scott.

"We'll see what we can do about the other students," said Jean.

"Sounds good," Scott smiled.

**X-_X-_X**

**How do you like it?**

**I hope you enjoyed.**

**-AnimeSiren**


	7. Chapter 7

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter 7**

**Enjoy.**

**X-_X-_X**

"Alright!" shouted Rogue. She glared across to the other side of her shared bedroom, directly into the lackadaisical gaze of her room mate. "What is wrong with you, Kit?"

The girl in question was sitting very quietly on her bed, her knees pulled up and her arms wrapped fiercely around them. She had been staring very determinedly at random spots across the room, shifting her expression between anger and melancholy depression. Rogue had spoken to her twice, and received no answer. She had finally had it though.

"Ya' have been very obviously not right," Rogue glared down at the girl, striding over to her. She gave a half infuriated snarl when Kitty only looked up at her and then shifted her gaze elsewhere, closing her eyes.

Rogue took a deep breath and visibly calmed herself. She sighed outward "Come on Kitty, what's going on?"

Kitty gave an exasperated grunt, half a sob and half a snarl, and buried her face down into her knees. Rogue waited as patiently as she could. Kitty rolled her head back and forth and then finally looked up at Rogue, her face even more miserable than before.

"I'm, like, depressed Rogue!" she said. She let her legs stretch out and then flung her body down on her bed, hugging her pillow.

"What's _wrong_ Kitty?" asked Rogue resolutely "School work? Disease? Death?"

"_No_," groaned Kitty, she turned over on her back. The sunlight was coming through the window in such a way that it only added to her frustration. She raised a hand to shadow her eyes. "It's Piotr."

"What about Piotr?" asked Rogue, she pushed Kitty's knees to the sit and sat down beside the brunette. She couldn't remember Gambit mentioning anything happening. "Wait," she said "Ya'll didn't break up did ya'?"

"Humph," grumbled Kitty. "_I _don't think so, but he certainly seems to, like, think so."

"Why?" asked Rogue incredulously, the few times she had seen the two together the Russian had appeared absolutely smitten with the valley girl. He looked at her as if he expected rainbows to suddenly sprout from her ears.

"Rogue," Kitty responded, dropping her voice low as if to not be over heard. (Rogue rolled her eyes a little) "I haven't heard from him _all_ week, and I, like, can't get a hold of him. Not even that psychotic Aussie seems to be around."

"You've met John?" asked Rogue a little distractedly.

"Only a couple times," mumbled Kitty "Why hasn't he called me or anything Rogue?"

"Ah don't know," answered Rogue honestly. She hesitated a moment and then leaned forward to put a reassuring arm on Kitty. "Look, Kit. Ya' are a wonderful gal, and there must be some reason that Piotr aint called or nothing."

Kitty only made a passably accepting noise, and closed her eyes again, dropping the hand that was guarding against the sunlight. Rogue put a hand to her neck, thinking. Remy hadn't mentioned anything to her about hearing about trouble with his old teammates, and she knew that he still kept in contact with them, Piotr more so than John, and as far as she was aware the two were still living in the same compound.

"Well Piotr's told you about his sister right?" asked Rogue, she didn't like the bubbly girl acting like this; she wanted to find a solution, and make her roommate less miserable.

"Yeah," said Kitty. The girl opened her eyes to look up at Rogue. She looked calmer at least, it seemed like a lot of her frustration was not talking about her problem, or sharing it with anyone.

"Maybe he's left to look for his sister then?" asked Rogue.

"If that's what he's done he's still, like, not told me," said Kitty "You'd think he'd at least let me know he was…leaving."

Rogue looked alarmingly at Kitty. The last word had come out in a half sob. "Look, Kitty, Ah'm sure there's a legitimate reason for this, O.K? Piotr's not the kind of person to just fall out of contact, I'll ask Remy, O.K. Kit?"

"Yeah," Kitty said sitting up "Thanks Rogue, I'm sorry for, like, being a downer."

"Kit," the southern belle said, taking the girl by the shoulders "If Ah've learned anything lately it's that a person just can't keep all those negative things in their own head, O.K? Its right to let it out, and then people like me can help ya'."

"Thanks, Rogue," Kitty said. She turned a smile out and stood. Kitty still looked definitely put out, however she was noticeably less so than earlier. "I guess I should, like, go help Amara like I promised her."

"Alrighty," said Rogue, stressing a light air to the girl. "Ah'll talk to Remy and see what I can and then Ah guess Ah'll see you later."

Kitty just smiled, she turned and left to phase out of the room. A bounce was forcing its way back into her step.

Rogue let her lighter expression fade as she watched her room mate's foot fade out of the door. Something was definitely not right, she concluded. If even the Australian seemed to have disappeared then she doubted that this was any small thing with the broken up acolytes. Remy would know more.

X-_X-_X

"Hey Remy?" asked Rogue, somewhat hushed and out of the corner of her mouth. They were in a _too_ quiet rec room with some of the other students. The other students and Logan, that is.

"_Oui, chere?_" asked the Cajun. He had a magazine opened yet unattended on his lap. They had both been previously trying to deduce the source of the Wolverine's foul mood.

"Ya' heard anything from Piotr lately?" she asked. The evening was wearing thin, and dinner was due to start soon, which, for Rogue, meant facing Kitty's melancholy mood once more.

Remy furrowed his brow, and turned to look at her, a small sliver of mild surprise on his perfectly etched visage. "Actually…_non_."

"Neither has Kit," said Rogue in return, she had a shadowy feeling starting to creep its way up her spine. "She's worried; she thinks he's just not contacting her."

Remy's lips pursed themselves into a very fine line. "Remy haven't heard from Johnny either," he said, the magazine slipped off his lap without him sparing it a glance. Wolverine grunted and eye balled the two of them.

"Neither has Kit," Rogue repeated, sitting forward. Her accent thickened "Ya' don't think something happened do ya'?"

"Gambit don't know," he replied. He opened and closed a fist a few times "Gambit assumed that they just got caught up in being them, in being busy or somethin.'"

"Hm," Rogue said.

"Gambit think it time to look into his teammates," continued Gambit, he turned to Rogue. "Gambit gonna' have to go back to Magneto's compound."

Rogue nodded. She didn't like the idea of it because Magneto's compound was a place that not only associated itself with Magneto and his acolytes but also with other _associates_ of Magneto. Anything could happen while Gambit was there; she'd heard the stories before.

She was saved further comment on it however by the sudden spitting growl of Wolverine's. Both of the mutants, along with every other in the room, jumped and looked towards the Canadian man, Rogue sending a dirty look of her own along. The Canadian, however, was looking at the door, rather than the other mutants in the room.

"No!" he shouted at the door. Poor Bobby was frozen (almost quite literally) within the doorway, his face framed in terror.

"You are not allowed anywhere near Jubilee," the man continued. "After the havoc you two wreaked earlier."

Bobby looked properly ashamed however, his feet seemed to have lost the capacity to function. "Out," Wolverine growled "Now."

Well, seems that they now knew what Wolverine's problem was. Rogue rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the Cajun beside her. Jubilee was making herself scarce on the other side of the room.

"Ah hope nothing happened to Piotr," said Rogue, her brow indented, thinking of her room mate's feelings.

"Remy hope nothing happened to neither of them," he murmured back. He rose, dragging Rogue up by the arm as well. They both exited the room. Rogue bit her lip for a moment before they exited the room. She had really lost the context of what Piotr and John were to Gambit, this news probably bothered him more then he let on, they were his teammates at one point after all, he had fought, lived, and shed blood with them.

Once they got into the hall (Wolverine's eyes following them the whole way) Gambit turned, a more serious look on his face, and gripped Rogue's shoulders. "Remy go after dark, and see what's happening, no?"

"Sure," said Rogue slowly. She certainly couldn't suggest that she go along, she definitely didn't have the stealth necessary, and her punishment for leaving the grounds would be rather more severe than Gambit's.

"Gambit didn't realize anything _mal_ was going on no?" Gambit continued "He figured the kitten was still hearing from Colossus."

Rogue nodded. It was probably a severe feeling of guilt that was hitting Gambit right then. Not having realized that something possibly dangerous was going on with his out of touch ex-teammates. Rogue quickly swirled away a small feeling of guilt. If Gambit hadn't moved into the mansion to be closer to her, then he would have realized his team mate's plight already.

"Should we tell the Professor?" asked Rogue.

"After Remy gets back," replied the Cajun, he moved them towards the stairs "If the telepath don't know before then."

"Alright," muttered Rogue. It was not the general X-Man action to not include the Professor within a problem. They'd all had somewhat dangerous consequences when the Professor or one of the other more seasoned X-Men was left out of the loop.

Gambit moved to ascend the staircase, seemingly having faith that Rogue would be following right behind him, which normally, she would be. "Swamp rat," said Rogue, from the bottom of the stairs "Dinner's gonna' start soon, if ya' aren't down here it'd be a little suspicious."

Gambit wavered. It was obvious that if he hadn't wished for some discretion from the other X-Men he would already be out the door and the high road to Magneto's old compound. He did believe in the talents of his old teammates however, he knew they could take care of themselves, and he knew that that meant he was allowed his discretion.

"_Oui_," replied Gambit, jogging back down the stairs "Dinner first."

X-_X-_X

Dinner that night was a typical affair. There was noise, good food, and as many small scuffles as there was people. Only the presences of Gambit, Rogue, and Kitty differed from their usual selves on any other night. Rogue was concerned for both her friend and boyfriend, Gambit preoccupied with a sense of duty, and Kitty pining for something she'd only had a taste of, and most definitely wanted more of.

If they thought this had gone unnoticed by the adults they were mistaken. The Professor, above peeking into their minds, could only fathom of the source of the shared ill emotions. Logan was frustrated with the change in attitude, and Storm felt pity for all three. The majority of the other students were the only ones that seems oblivious, Kurt had exchanged a couple looks with Scott, but that's where it had ended.

Mutant life is life that contains surprises, ones large and ones small. Naturally surprise was not going to avoid them when it had chance to do otherwise.

The security alarms sounded: There was an intruder on the premises.

Their motley dinner action was taken in unabridged by new action. The younger students immediately struggled out of the way of both the older students and the adults, and with practiced ease. The older students, those already members of the X-Men team, stood with the exhilarated fear, bordered with adrenaline, that only a youthful mind could operate with. The adults stood quicker, their minds more ingrained with years of fear and immediate action.

The Professor alone remained unchanged, looking down the table with heady observation. "Wait," he said, holding up a hand "It is an intruder, but one that certainly does not want to harm us."

"Chuck?" Wolverine growled out, his claws unsheathed "We don't have time for riddles, those alarms have a purpose."

"Please," the Professor motioned for everyone to sit "Gambit?" the Professor said "Would you mind getting the door?"

Just as Gambit was nodding resolutely the doorbell did actually ring. Many of the younger students did sit fully at that, the Professors statement and the thought that a harmful intruder certainly wouldn't press the doorbell, calmed them.

Gambit sidestepped his chair, cast a glance at Rogue and then at the Professor, and departed the dining table for the hall. His years of thieving experience had him on edge, and a small distrusting voice in the back of his head said that as the newcomer he was being sacrificed to whatever was beyond the front door. He heard someone follow him with quick steps, and a shout of "Rogue!" followed from the room he had just left.

He raised an eyebrow at her as she kept up with his quick stride to the door, and she didn't answer the brow raise, she did stop and wait for him to open the door, though. She took a defensive stance behind him.

"The Professor said this not an enemy, no?" he said to her, his voice just above a whisper.

"Yeah, yeah," said Rogue back "Open the door, swamp rat."

He did. They both stared, Rogue breaking out of her stance in shock. They heard students begin to gather into the hall behind them, unable to reign in their curiosity.

And then a shout came from behind them as well "Piotr!"

X-_X-_X

Piotr fought back an instinct to turn and run that had been ingrained in his mind for the better part of two decades. Being on the doorstep to the one Bayville mansion that had been a malevolent zone for his health previously, made his current situation all the more nerve wracking for him.

He set down the small burlap sack that he had, and looked wearily into the mansion, his eyes stopping and revolving for a tender moment on Kitty. "Comrade," he said his voice low and his eyes spearing imploringly into Gambit's own "Things have happened these last few days that you are unaware of."

"Piotr," said Gambit, he still seemed stunned to see his old teammate standing on the door.

"Where've you been?" Kitty suddenly squawked, rushing forward to join the other's at the door. The rest of the X-Men shifted, tittered, and looked to the Professor to see what they should do. The Professor's focus, however, was entirely on the four people in the doorway.

Piotr embraced Kitty, closing his eyes in a feeling of serenity for just a moment before reopening them. Apparently Kitty had already told him that the rest of the X-Men knew she was seeing him, as he wasn't looking worriedly through the doorway at them. "Perhaps," He said to Gambit, Rogue, and Kitty "We can step outside for a moment, much has happened."

"Gambit thought he was gonna' have to come rescue y', _mon ami_," he said, looking the Russian over.

"I am sorry," he responded "I know I must have worried you…both (he looked at Kitty) because of no communication, however it was unavoidable. I will explain…outside."

Privacy seemed to be the point that he was getting across and Gambit and Rogue exchanged a look, Kitty already tugging Piotr's arm to get them away from the doorway like he wanted.

"Just a minute," Wolverine's gruff voice sounded from the group. Piotr looked up and caught the Professor's eyes before his attention shifted to the owner of the voice. It was undoubted that the Professor was picking up whatever was being broadcasted. "I think you better tell us why you're here, bub, before you go running off with ours."

Rogue nearly smiled, nearly. It was tempting to give Gambit a teasing stare at Wolverine's words. Gambit was considered one of 'ours' now, and by Wolverine no less. Gambit however, began to refute the need for Piotr to explain anything.

"No," said the Professor, raising a hand and giving Logan a calming smile "I think it is best if we have a chat with Mr. Rasputin, even if it is just to insure his own well being."

Logan looked triumphant. Piotr himself was looking as if he were struggling with what to say, his facial expression the embodiment of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Kitty looked up at him and leaned in to whisper "If you don't want to, you, like, don't have to."

"No," he responded, letting out a breath "I may need help, and I was thinking about having a conversation with the Professor anyway."

Kitty nodded and grabbed his free hand and he bent to pick up his small sack, taking a step into the doorway. Rogue and Gambit stepped back to let them pass, Gambit grinning. Rogue closed the door. Gambit sauntered alongside Piotr, slapping an arm around his shoulder.

"Remy glad to see he don't have to go rescue y' Russian behind," he said quietly.

Piotr smiled softly, however there was still some hesitation behind it. "Thank you, my friend."

Rogue couldn't quite bring herself to be as happy as the other three; she frowned at the collection of X-Men still in the hall. They were whispering, and eyeing the Russian man with suspicion. Had she ever been that bad? She supposed her had. She glared at them and followed the others; The Professor was leading them to his office.

Gambit turned and caught Rogue's eyes, grinning and letting Piotr bypass him. He caught up Rogue's arm and led the both of them jauntily to the Professor's office. Rogue couldn't help but smile back, she was glad she'd gotten the chance to change, for things like this.

X-_X-_X

"Alright," said the Professor. He wheeled over towards his desk but stopped before actually being behind it, he looked at them, everyone forming a haphazard circle. Storm had gathered the X-Men back into the dining room, Cyclops looking imperiously out on the scene, and Wolverine and Beast had accompanied the Professor and the four teenagers into his office.

Piotr immediately began speaking. "I am sorry for intruding; I only wished to speak to my comrade, and to Kitty, about certain things that had happened the past few days."

"I think I will be able to lend you some aid, if you will only explain what has happened," responded the Professor, Wolverine crossed his arms.

"Please," said Piotr "It is not anything that requires so much attention."

"Piotr," said Kitty "Just tell us what happened. I was so, like, worried about you!"

"I am sorry," said Piotr softly. He looked up at the others "You see, Magneto's compound was set afire."

"_Quoi_?" demanded Gambit, Rogue stiffened. Wolverine and Hank exchanged a look, however the Professor remained calm. "Is the Magneto back?"

Colossus shook his head at Gambit. "There is no need to be worried," he said "It was actually much less dramatic."

"Sunshine," said Rogue "Ah think ya' better just get on with it."

"How can I say this?" Piotr mumbled to himself. "Well, John burned the compound down, only I did not know it was John at the time, my first thought, too, was that in some strange occurrence Magneto had reappeared."

Gambit looked stunned "Why the hell would Johnny burn the compound down?"

Piotr rubbed a hand to his temple. Wolverine didn't look pleased on the other side of the room; however the Professor just shook his head at him. It appeared as if he was content to let the teenagers talk more amongst themselves, it no longer appeared as if anything threatening had occurred.

"Well," Piotr said "The Scarlet Witch came to the compound, certain that her father was actually there. To make this long tale shorter, she and John began to fight, and then found that they both enjoyed a good dose of utter chaos."

"_Wanda_ burned the compound down _with_ John?" demanded Rogue.

"Unfortunately," admitted Piotr.

"You've got to be kidding me!" said Kitty; she looked around at the others. "In what world does something like that seriously happen?"

Piotr eyed his girlfriend wearily but didn't say anything until she let out a laugh. It was unclear at first as to whether she was angry or not, he was relieved to find out that it was 'not.'

"So why were y' outta' contact?" Gambit asked. He looked at if he were caught between incredulous and bemused.

"I was the only one out of the loop," Piotr looked frustrated saying that "I went into hiding, and it was only after a day and a half of tracking down John that I realized it was he that was responsible."

Gambit shook his head. "Sometimes," said Rogue "Life is just too much."

"But you're O.K?" asked Kitty.

"Yes," Piotr said softly, squeezing the girls hand "Kitten."

"Well I am glad to see that you are O.K." said The Professor, Wolverine snorted. "However, where is your friend John?"

Gambit raised a brow at Piotr.

"He has moved into the brotherhood house," said Piotr "With the Scarlet Witch."

Both Gambit and Rogue let out a laugh. "You're fooling me!" said Rogue.

"I'm afraid not," said Piotr. "With there no longer being a Magneto, or a compound, he was free to follow his hearts content."

Rogue laughed again, the Scarlet Witch was a person that always surprised her. Who new that she would be the one person that could deal with a person like St. John Allerdyce?

"Wait," said Kitty "Piotr, where are you living then."

"Well," said Piotr slowly. He looked around the room a moment, his eyes flickering to each of the adults. "I'm living in a hotel for now however I have been thinking, and it has been wavering, that…I might talk to the Professor."

Kitty couldn't believer her ears. She was certain that he was saying what she thought he was saying. She had been jealous when Gambit had moved into the mansion, she could admit it. If what Piotr was saying was what she was thinking…

Gambit himself looks a little gob smacked. He certainly hadn't expected this turn of events. He raised an eyebrow at Wolverine; who glared at him in turn. It was certainly a turn of events.

"I would be delighted to speak privately with you," said the Professor.

"Why Charles," said Beast softly in an aside "I daresay you knew that this was going to happen all along.

Professor Xavier rose a brow in turn "I daresay it was," he responded with a smile.

"Alright, children," said Dr. McCoy "Let's leave the room so that they might be able to have their conversation shall we?"

Everyone filed out like they were told. Rogue grinning at Kitty, who looked shocked, and not quite sure whether she could believe what was happening.

"Thank God for people with a bit o' insanity, right Kit?" she teased the girl. Kitty laughed with her, a sporadic laugh, she laughed a couple more time. It seemed as if she was finally realizing that something great was happening to her.

"I'm so happy, Rogue," she whispered.

"Ah'm glad," Rogue responded. She smiled.

X-_X-_X

The teenagers were still in the hall when Piotr finally emerged from the Professors office. Gambit had tried to use his trained thieving skills to eavesdrop on what was happening in the room but it was to no avail. Well, it did greatly amuse Rogue.

"Piotr?" asked Kitty, jumping up with excitement.

The Professor smiled and said "I'll be in my office if anyone needs anything," before closing the door and allowing Piotr to respond to the girl fidgeting at his side.

"Kitty," he said, he clasp her head in his hands "I am going to begin living here in the mansion, with you and the rest of the X-men, but-."

Kitty jumped in the air and circled her arms around him before he could finish his sentence. "This is good news, _mon ami_," said Gambit.

"Nice move, Piotr," said Rogue, her southern drawl hinting at what she wanted it to.

"But," said Piotr, he looked at the group and maneuvered Kitty off of him. "I need to go do something first."

"What?" asked Kitty softly, looking crestfallen.

"Kitty," said Piotr, his Russian voice a guttural murmur "Magneto had abducted my sister, and I believe I know where he may have been hiding her. I need to find her, and make sure my family is safe. After that I promise, I am returning here, and I am going to join the X-Men and help the future of all those that will one day awaken their mutant genes."

Kitty's tears leaked over the edge of her eyes. Gambit and Rogue looked at each other, Rogue looked concerned and Gambit had an unhappy look on his face.

"I understand," said Kitty softly. "You promise to come back?"

"Of course," Piotr said "Of course."

"Fine," Kitty took a deep breath and then let out an awkward giggle. "Well," she said tugging his arm towards the stairs "You can't go on a rescue mission without getting a good night's sleep."

Piotr smiled, and hugged the girl to him as they ascended the stairs.

"Ah feel bad for Kit," said Rogue, she knotted her fingers through Gambit's.

"Don't be, _chere_," Gambit replied, he smirked at her. "Colossus made a promise, no? He'll be back, and the kitty cat'll be happy then."

"Ah hope you're right," said Rogue, leaning into his side.

"Of course Gambit right, _chere_," said Gambit, laughing smugly. "Besides," he glanced up to the disappearing outlines of their friends "Gambit sees a new future for the X-Men."

**X-_X-_X**

**Sorry this took much longer than I originally thought it was going to. A few exams came up that I didn't realize were going to, and then I thought my computer was dead and gone.**

**I hope you enjoyed.**

**AnimeSiren**


	8. Chapter 8

**Trapped in A Bottle**

**Chapter 8**

_Enjoy_

_Disclaimer: No character or place in this story is mine, simply the plot._

**X-_X-_X**

The breakfast table was very quiet the next morning, and much less crowded than usual. However the volume of students didn't have anything to do with the volume of noise. It was the depressive air that over road the table, that quenched the noise that sought to squeak out. There had been some attempts at usual breakfast conversation, but those attempts had failed readily.

Only the older students and the instructors were present that morning. The younger students had either avoided a full group breakfast on their own, or had no doubt been urged to eat earlier by one of the instructors. Piotr was leaving after breakfast, driving to the coast and catching a cargo freighter that was captained by an old friend of his. He would be gone for an indefinite amount of time.

Kitty sighed, chocking back a sob.

She and Piotr had hooked hands underneath the table but even that small comfort couldn't make her disparaging depression lift. Her pancakes sat in front of her, untouched. Even the sun coming in from the window across from her didn't help to lift her heart; it only served to annoy her.

Rogue looked up from her own half eaten plate and caught Remy's eye offering him an uneasy look. Both of their friends had attracted to the other almost immediately, and they were both very delicate, kind people, even though Piotr could punch through a steel wall. This separation might do something irreversible to Kitty.

"They don' look like the only two tense up, no?" Gambit whispered into her ear, his arm slung around the back of her chair. His voice kicked up a few strands of her hair and tickled her ear.

It was true though, she looked down the table at the instructors. They all had vaguely disconcerted looks on their faces. Even Wolverine, usually not put off in such manners, had a roughed up look to his visage, more so than the usual. However neither Scott nor Jean had overly concerned looks on their faces either, just uncomfortable ones. Kurt was mowing down, though hadn't chosen to utter a word.

The Professor must have sensed Remy's thoughts, or perhaps the general emotional consensus of the table was enough, but he was spurred into speaking just a few minutes later. "Now," he began "I know that we may all be feeling a little effected because of recent change."

The table looked back at him. Or at least everyone except Remy did, he was observing the others, and nuzzling half heartedly into Rogue's shoulder.

"Piotr," he said, the attention shifted some "I know that this journey will be difficult for you, but please, remember that you now have the full weight of the X-Men's resources at your disposal."

"Yes Professor," said Piotr, his Russian voice softening what were probably harder emotions behind the words. "Thank you."

"It is no problem of course," the Professor responded "And we must _all_ realize (his voice gained volume and his eyes went specifically to Kitty) that Piotr may very well be back with us sooner than we think."

Kitty nodded, attempting to smile up at the Professor. Wolverine spoke though "Don't worry half pint, I'm gonna' keep you so busy in DR that you won't have time to miss that acolyte."

Rogue smiled at Wolverine's unexpected show of tenderness and Kitty giggled a bit and smiled back at Wolverine as well.

"Also," the Professor continued. His face looked harder, and his eyes let on that he was about to speak about something that he didn't want to. "I have some news that some of you may react strongly to."

Kurt put his fork back down, looking at the Professor. Storm folded her hands in her lap, closing her eyes and putting her head down some. It was evident that whatever the instructors were feeling strongly about that morning was about to be revealed to before them.

"This morning, in a special congressional summit, something quite tragic was put into motion."

Rogue very carefully set her fork down. She felt that emotion that nobody liked. In hurricane Katrina this was the feeling of the adults, who'd tried to weather the storm and then realized the truth a split second before they failed. The calm before the storm was something that no mutant enjoyed experiencing.

Wolverine shook his head in disgust and the Professor continued. "This morning a Bill concerning Mutants was passed by congress, and awaits a final stamp of approval by the President."

Kitty paled even further, Gambit leaned forward on the table a great scowl on his face. "What type of legislation, _Professeur_?"

"If this bill is not vetoed then all mutants will have to be identified," the Professor held up a hand "Just registration, there will be no medieval branding."

"Also," he continued "Mutant rights will be in question. Mutants will be subject to subjective rights. We could be held in police custody indefinitely, we can no longer be subject to trial by jury, and the military, federal, and local authorities will be armed with anit-mutant weapons."

"How did this get so far?" said Kurt jumping up. Kitty cast a look at the window as if she half expected mutant bounty hunters to burst through the glass at any moment.

"By the manipulative powers of several anti-mutant senators," said the Professor. "Now this bill was passed by only a slight majority, and mainly through back door deals. It will go public tomorrow, only by luck did a friend contact me with this news so as for us to be prepared."

"What's gonna' happen to us?" asked Rogue.

"The President still has to finalize or veto the bill," said Storm soothingly. "And he has given no indication of which way things will go. We are hoping with the correct amount of diplomacy we can cast this bill off and get the Mutant Rights legislation pushed back into consideration."

"So are we going to Washington?" asked Rogue, she looked between Hank and the Professor "We can demonstrate right? March or somethin' to fight this!"

"Ororo and I are departing for Washington," said the Professor "We thought it best that Logan and Henry remain here in the event that you students need…a more experienced hand."

"Y' think people gonna' be showin' up and fightin' us here, no?" asked Gambit.

Wolverine tightened "It's a possibility bub, you can't ever have too much faith in a world leader, and so we have to be prepared."

Rogue's peripherals had her looking at Kitty the next moment. There were silent tears running down the girls face. Colossus had her in his arms. "Don't go," she heard Kitty whisper against him. Colossus' face saddened.

"I will be back as soon as is possible, Professor," said Colossus standing. "I think it is best that I leave as soon as possible."

"Yes," the Professor nodded. His eyes swept the table; he seemed relieved that Kitty was the only one that was having much difficulty with this. "I want you older students to help the younger ones understand this. It is an attack on our kind though not one that the children will understand, they'll feel threatened."

"Of course, Professor," said Kurt, his accent thick. Colossus was exiting the room, Kitty behind him. Rogue watched them and then returned her attention back to the Professor.

"What happens if something happened while ya'll are gone?" asked Rogue "What happens when we have to fight to protect ourselves?

The Professor's face drained of much of his emotion and his eyes hardened like they rarely did. His voice became very level and everyone locked eyes with. "Understand," he said, his eyes locking with the students "This institution was set up to be a safe haven for you students, and anyone that sought solace, shelter, and understanding. Leave the rest to the instructors," he nodded to Beast and Wolverine.

"Charles and I will be leaving after breakfast," said Ororo, her calm visage was rumpled.

Rogue stood, and Remy spoke "I t'ink breakfast is over now," he said "Don't t'ink no one wanna' eat after dat news. We' do our piece, y' do yours."

"C'mon, Kurt," said Rogue "Let's go find Kit."

"Make sure," said the Professor as Kurt stood to exit the room "When the news breaks tomorrow—keep the students calm, and reassured."

Rogue nodded "Like Remy said," she said "We'll do our piece."

X-_X-_X

Remy contemplated the carpet underneath his feet and he strode (rather strutted) down the girl's wing main hall. It was plush and crimson color, and it was also a material that invoked all sorts of memories in Remy. This kind of carpeting ran for thousands of square feet in many of the richer New Orleans mansions, so suffice to say he'd had his feet on it before, legally or otherwise.

Thoughts of New Orleans invariably led him to thoughts of thievery, memories good and bad, and thoughts of what all that had left with him. He _did _miss New Orleans, but he wasn't quite sure New Orleans missed him much. This trouble with the mutant bill just brought up more memories of New Orleans.

He had been the only mutant thief in a city that craved power. Soon the chaos of the New Orleans underground would be the chaos of the entire Mutant world. He'd make sure to keep Rogue safe, with all his energy.

Rogue was with Kitty, the two were in an a pile of limbs on Kitty's bed, Kitty sobbing, and Rogue trying to understand what she was going through. It was best to leave girls to themselves, Kitty didn't need him sitting and shuffling cards in the corner. He too would miss Colossus, but then again Colossus wasn't the apparent love of his life.

Rogue had always surprised him. A shy girl stuck in a feisty personality? It had been a shot of lightning to his puzzle solving heart. Of course, the southern belle had stuck in his head, and he found himself entranced. The most intoxicating part was that he still learned just a bit more about Rogue everyday. One day, when things were peaceful and calm, he'd like to take Rogue down to see New Orleans, show her his life, the part he loved.

And then, those thoughts led him back to thoughts of the things about New Orleans that he had hated. Then his eyes dropped back to the plush scarlet carpet. Yes, his life was a life of intricacy. Then he rounded the corner by the stair case and heard somewhat hushed voices.

He backed up against the wall immediately, years of ingraining certain reactions into his mind still paid off. To the untrained ear the hushed voices might only be senseless voice highs and lows, however this trained thief could hear each word clear as day.

"Will you two be safe?" it was Dr. McCoy's voice. It was strained with worry, and a deep, deep caring. The man was truly was of the gentlest creatures on this planet, his appearance twisted that in an ironic way.

"I'm certain we will be fine," said Ororo "The bill has not passed quite yet."

"I am sure we will be fine as well," came the Professor's voice.

Remy heard Hank make a noise in retort, it seemed dissatisfied. "What do you think will happen Charles?"

"I'm not certain," replied the Professor slowly "Hopefully we can convince at least a few to vote the other way should it come up again, of course that depends on the President vetoing the bill."

"It'll probably be announced early tomorrow, right Chuck?" came Logan's low growl of a voice. Remy nodded to himself, that's what they said earlier; when they told them they'd have to be prepared for the chaos that ensued afterwards.

"Yes, in all likely hood."

"And you think you two will be safe down there in all this?" Logan snorted.

"I understand your worry, Logan. However hopefully dignity and decorum will stand yet still," replied the Professor.

There was a silence, and Remy peeked around the corner and down just in time to see Ororo open the door. The Professor moved as if to move through the door, but then paused and stopped.

"Should we fail," he said "This may be the start of a war mankind has not seen before."

No one replied to him and Remy frowned. He moved back around the corner and heard the door click shut.

"Don't worry, furball," Wolverine's gruff voice echoed up the stair and into the hall. Remy heard Wolverine slap a hand onto Hank's back "I've done war before. It's nothing to get your panties in a bunch about."

Remy moved silently away, and left the scene by way of an adjoining hall. So the adults were having some doubts and worries? Not quite putting up the united front they had earlier that day. It might very well be up to the students to take this bull by the horns.

X-_X-_X

Rogue's concentration wasn't the greatest that afternoon. She had left Kitty in a half way better position; however the girl was still desperately saddened. It didn't help that there was an overwhelming feeling of doom hanging over the mansion, and many of them were dreading the next day when hell was sure to break loose.

Sometimes when she practiced subduing, or rather controlling her powers, she was able to feel something envelope her. After a few days of practice she realized that the feeling was the feeling of touch. Or rather, it was when all her tension melted, and her trust in her own powers rose.

The first time it had happened, the machine attached to her ankle had beeped, causing her to lose her concentration, and Wolverine's unconscious body to fall to the floor. The Professor had been thrilled though.

Rogue sighed. Thinking about working harder was doing nothing for actually working harder.

"Kick it, stripes," Wolverine said. Rogue cracked her eyes open. Normally Wolverine didn't break into her concentration, waiting for her to reach out for his flesh. She didn't think she'd ever be able to thank him enough for working with her.

"Why?" asked Rogue, had Wolverine really noticed her attention slipping that much? "Ah'm fine."

Wolverine stood. "You're getting exhausted, besides it won't be much good considering we won't be practicing for awhile."

"What?" exclaimed Rogue, her drawl deepening.

"Kid, we're just not gonna' be able to."

"Why?"

"None of us can afford to be down on our stamina in the next few days, in case something happens," Wolverine replied, he rubbed his hand across his stubble. "When Chuck gets things settled down again practice will start up again."

Rogue just nodded, of course he made sense.

"Come on," Wolverine said, making a motion towards the door "That means no DR."

"Why you must be heart broken," snorted Rogue, getting up and walking towards the door.

Wolverine snorted back at her.

She stretched a little and made to leave the room.

"Hey stripes," Logan called, and she ducked her head back in the door. "You are very close to being able to touch, so don't sweat it, alright?"

Rogue smiled and then let a grin fly "_Merci_."

Logan let himself smile as she left the room. "That damn cajun's rubbing off on her," he grumbled to himself.

X-_X-_X

"So no more practice den?" confirmed Remy. He and Rogue lay on her bed; Kitty had been summoned by the younger girls for fashion advice, though it was apparent they just wanted to keep her occupied, and if they could, happy.

Rogue nodded. She had told him what had transpired that afternoon. "He said Ah was close though, that this machine really is doing its job."

"Dat's good," Remy said softly. He turned his head towards her and studied her furrowed brow. "You got the power in you, _chere_, dis machine just gonna' help for awhile."

"Ah now," said Rogue uneasily.

Remy didn't really have anything else to say to her just then. He really thought that it'd be best to leave her with her thoughts, and let her sort them out in her way. Rogue was a complex gal, and he loved every bit of it, right down to her furrowed brow.

"Ya' know," she said, breaking their silence "With all this mutant mumbo jumbo going about now, it almost seems like it ain't worth learnin' to control my powers."

"'Course it worth it, _Chere_," Remy hurriedly reassured her, rising to lean on his elbow. "Y' want to learn to control y' powers, fo' you."

"That's true, Remy," she said. Then she smiled. "It'll be _so_ nice to be able to touch again."

Remy hummed in response.

"Ya' don't know," she said leaning up on her side "How people can take somethin' as simple as a touch for granted."

"What Remy wouldn't do to be able to touch y' face with his bare hand," Gambit said, running the back of his gloved hand down her face.

"Ya' wanna' know the real reason Kitty didn't apply to go to college and all that?" Rogue asked suddenly, her voice dipped lower than even Remy's tenderness the moment before.

"_Pourquoi_?"

"It wasn't to stay and help form the X-Men into a stronger unit;" Rogue replied "She was scared of what would happen with her alone at college, in world full anti-mutant supporters."

"Surely dere be some friendly to mutant types in that higher education scene, no?" asked Gambit back.

"Kitty was too scared."

Remy hummed this time, but it wasn't the content noise from before, it was an uneasy rumble. "She should have gone if she wanted to; dere is a world outside of the X-Men."

"She knows," whispered Rogue "We all know. Scott and Jean, they're gonna' get married someday and make disgustingly red haired babies, and everyone else is gonna' have a life too. But not if this mutant bill goes through."

"What's y' life gonna' be, _cherie_?" asked Remy, he traced her face again.

"Ah don't know," she replied. "Ah'm leavin' soon as it's possible though."

"Where y' gonna' go?"

"Ah don't know that either," she smirked "Maybe some place cold, maybe some place warm, maybe even some place where it rains all day."

"Y' should see N'Awlins, it de most beautiful place on Earth," Gambit said, his voice took on a slight tilt of nervousness.

"Ah've been there," Rogue laughed "Or don't ya' remember, swamp rat?"

Remy chuckled too. "Well y' should see it when you haven't been kidnapped."

"Maybe," she replied.

"Remy goin' back someday, just fo' a little while," Gambit said.

"Ah thought ya' father tried to use ya' powers while ya' were there?" Rogue asked.

"_Oui_," Remy replied "But there mo' than my _pere_ there."

Remy licked his lips "Maybe y' wanna' see it wit Remy some day?"

Rogue grinned, trying not to let Remy see "That might be possible, Cajun, it just might be."

Remy smiled, and tried not to whoop out loud.

"For now," Rogue said sitting up and groaning "It's about time for dinner."

"Ah yes," Remy said, rising with grace. "Can't make all the kiddies nervous by not showing up, now can we?"

"Or something like that," Rogue laughed swatting at him.

Remy smirked.

**X-_X-_X**

**I'm really not good at this scheduled update thing am I? Hope you enjoyed.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter Nine**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Remy stop!" said Rogue, coughing down a laugh. She swatted at the hand that reached out to tickle her side again, glaring up at its owner.

"Remy sorry, _ma chere_," he said into her hair, sounding quite the opposite. Rogue laughed and rolled away from him. They were in a rather uncommon position, in a rather uncommon setting.

At four that morning Rogue had been gently shook awake by the swamp rat now sitting next to her, and dragged up a staircase, and carefully across a ledge, until they were positioned on a flat portion of the roof amid blankets and what Remy deemed as 'romantic moment supplies.'

He'd said they were up there to watch the stars, but Rogue had pointed out very quickly that the sky was clouded over and the only thing they were going to be spotting was the occasional plane. He had very simply grinned, swinging an arm around her and burrowing them down in the blankets even further.

"Dis gonna' be de only peace we'll be havin' fo' a while," Remy said, stopping his assault on her side. The sun had risen a few minutes before, and it now illuminated Bayville in a sickly grey color, appropriate for the type of day it was sure to be.

"Ya going soft on me?" shot back Rogue, summoning a smirk. However what he said was true and she knew it. "People make their own peace, Ah know we'll just have to try as hard as we can."

"Dat be one o' the reasons this master thief is so fond o' y', _chere_," he said, throwing his head back to the sky.

"Ever think about," she began and then paused, a somewhat consternate look on her face.

"_Quoi_?" he asked, looking over at her. He loved the feeling of her leaning against his side, so tender, and so willing, it was so unlike her when around others. He was a little concerned with the look on her face though.

"Ah know ya' were talking about what ya' would do in the future and whatnot," she said "But did ya' ever think about what everyone else is gonna' do?"

"Remy don't really care about everyone else," he said honestly, shrugging as well as he could "No one 'cept y.'"

"Well Ah mean," she gave a small frustrated sigh "Like my brother, and Kitty and Colossus, Logan, and everyone else."

"_Chere_," Remy responded, there was a sudden pounding noise from beneath them, but they both ignored it, all too used to the noises of the Institute. "We're mutants, we don't have the experience of worryin' 'bout de future, we think of de here, and de now. Remy t'ink it best if dat's all we think of fo' now, maybe small plans, small t'ings, but de truth is if dis mutant bill goes bad and something severe happens we could be bidding _adieu_ to some of de people we know."

Rogue was quiet for a long moment, and there was a shout from somewhere in the mansion. "Boy," she said finally "Ya' sure know how to make a girl feel better."

Remy grinned "Remy know reality, _amour_, not much else."

She nodded, and she lay backward. The sound of the gate opening flowed up to them. "Remy?" she asked.

"_Oui_?" he asked, his red on black eyes looking to hers.

"Ah think Ah love you," she said, looking away, her voice low. Her tone suggested she was trying to pass off the moment.

Remy went perfectly still. He'd had his fair share of women tell him that they loved him, but he wasn't used to a person so unique to him saying it to him. He wasted seconds, and panicked somewhat in his head, what was his response…what he wanted to respond….what would he say…

"Remy love y' _aussi_, _ma chere_," Remy felt his mouth form the words before he realized he was saying them, and then realized something more as well. As soon as the air had escaped his lungs he had felt much better, like a weight had been lifted.

Rogue looked up at him, smiled and looked back out at the sky, snuggling in closer nonchalantly. All of a sudden the few shouts from below them got much louder, and it became obvious that someone was shouting out the front door.

"What in sane hell?" exclaimed Rogue, making a move to get closer to the edge of the rooftop.

"Careful," clipped Remy, watching her movements.

"Swamp rat," she called back "Come over here!"

Remy's jaw set and he nimbly crawled over to her. What was going on?

"Look," she said her voice low "It looks like Jubilee."

It was, indeed, Jubilation Lee. However the scene that surrounded her and the front door and lawn was not a scene that was readily expected. Jubilee was still on the stoop however an older couple was standing before her. The man stood several feet back from the woman; however the woman was throwing very stern statements at Jubilee from just a few feet in front of her.

"You_ are_ coming with us Jubilation Lee!" the woman half shouted, gesturing hard with her hands.

"No!" Jubilee shouted back "Mom this is my home!"

"Her parents?" Rogue murmured. There was no breeze and their words floated up towards the eavesdropping pair easily.

"Your home is with _us_!" the woman matched.

"Look, mom," Jubilee said, seemingly trying to be more serious and stern. "This is where I feel I belong, I can do good here."

"We saw the news today Jubilation!" her mom replied "We know what they're going to do and this Xavier man is going to be nothing but trouble."

"Professor X is trying to help mutant kind," Jubilee fought back "He's protecting us."

"Don't say that word!" the woman looked to be at her frazzled ends.

Jubilee paused, and then her voice came out, very low and very deadly serious "What word do you mean?"

"You know what word I mean!" the woman continued, not noticing the change in Jubilee "That disgusting, foul, word!"

"Mutant!" screeched Jubilee "Mutant! Mutant! Mutant! I am a mutant! Deal with it, I'm not leaving, I'm staying to protect what I care about, and you can't stop me!"

The woman gave a shout of frustration "I will call the police if I have to; you are a minor for a few months yet!"

"Try it!" responded Jubilee "No cops are going to come here and try to drag a mutant away, you can bet on that!"

Remy laid a hand on Rogue's back, watching the conflict with interest. It appeared the news had broke that morning, and he was surprised that Jubilee's family was there that early; attempting to take the girl away, it could only be eight. He saw Kitty's head bob out the door, watching the conflict nervously.

"Mark my words, Jubilation! You will come home!"

Jubilee didn't bother listening anymore, she turned on her heel, and rushed past Kitty, her coat slapping against the girl. The woman turned to the man, and began kvetching to him as well, taking her anger out. The man shook his head, and the two watched them stomp their way down the drive, and out of the gate.

"Kitty!" Rogue called. Shadowcat jumped and looked out the doorway wearily. "Up here!"

"Like, what are you doing up there?" she called back, finally noticing them.

"Nothing," Rogue called back "Can you just phase up here and phase us down?"

"Yeah," said Kitty before disappearing from sight, and reappearing next to them a few moments later. She eyed the blankets, grinning "Romantic interlude?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and Remy grinned "What's going on down stairs?"

Kitty pouted "You should probably see for yourselves," she said, grabbing their wrists. Rogue pushed down a brief moment of nausea as they descended flights of the mansion, appearing in the entryway.

It was hell broke loose.

X-_X-_X

"Can't the Professor do something?" demanded an irate Bobby Drake. He was standing next to Jubilee, his arms crossed and his body radiating hurt and confusion.

"He is doing something," shot back Logan, glaring at all the students assembled in the entryway.

"Please, children," said Hank, raising his arms in a comforting and soothing manner. He had good reason too, the holes in the marble flooring were evidence of that, and the scorch marks going up the stairs were too. It seemed there had been a slight revolt when the news flashed across the television screen in the rec room. "Charles and Ororo are in Washington as we speak, doing what they can about this."

"Are they going to lock us up?" asked Rahne, her voice wobbling.

"Of course not," said Hank, Wolverine snorted from behind him.

"We can't just sit here," persisted Bobby "There's got to be something we can do."

"Listen here, bub," said Wolverine finally having enough with dealing with the teenagers with the 'kid' gloves on. He marched right up to the boy and put his own face right level with his. "If you march out there right now all high and mighty, and the President doesn't veto that little piece of paper, and you start something out there you could bring the damn military here and against us."

"Rogue," said Jamie softly, having side stepped the others and walked up to the southern couple. "I'm afraid."

Remy's eyes softened, and Rogue replied to the boy just as softly as he had spoke, low enough that the others didn't notice their conversation. "We'll always protect you, Jamie, all of ya'll."

"But Rogue," he said, his eyes going wide "I'm not scared for me, I'm scared of losing any of you. They were talking like we're going to have a war; it's not true is it?"

This time Gambit spoke up, waving a hand at Rogue as she opened her mouth to reply. "Look, here," he said "Gambit ain't gonna' tell y' that there not gonna' be some trouble, alright? But he promise dat de X-Men are gonna' do wha' they always do, dey gonna' be righteous and all noble an' whatnot and take care o' it all. _Mais_, y' gotta' know, _garcon_, that we can' promise y' that no one is gonna' get hurt, y' gotta' be strong about that, _mon ami_."

Jamie nodded, looking up at the man in a somewhat new light. He had always been kind to the younger students since he moved in, so Jamie didn't understand what many of the older students meant by how they treated him. However, it seemed like he was an honest adult, and that was something that Jamie truly treasured. He also didn't talk to him like he was five, which was always a plus.

"That's enough," Logan's voice roared above the masses. "If all you really want DR that bad I can put you in there for days, so I'd suggest you shut your mouths and do as your told!"

Beast put a large, furred hand to his face, taking off his glasses and rubbing his nose. "Professor Xavier will do his best," he said to the now mostly nervous mass of youths turning away from Wolverine to look at him instead. "And we have to do ours; every move we now take will be monitored, more so than it has since we were found out. Professor Xavier is a prominent man in mutant rights, and anything that you do to harm the situation will reflect ten fold on him and on mutant kind."

"But," Bobby said, heaving a sigh, his voice much more resigned "My parents have been calling, they threatened to come from Boston and pick me up if I don't leave."

Beast nodded, that type of thing had been happening all morning with some of the students. "It is my opinion, Mr. Drake, not taking sides of course, that you turned eighteen just a couple weeks ago, so you are free to do as you will. Many of you are no longer in school; you've graduated not only academia but childhood as well."

Bobby nodded, a more determined look lighting his eyes.

Logan turned and strode by the two southerners, motioning them to come with them. Beast told the younger students that there tutoring sessions would commence as usual, and that they should gather their books. It was wise now, in retrospect, that after graduation the other, still in school, mutant children had turned to the home schooling that Professor Xavier was offering. It was certain that if they were relying on the public for their current education, that there would be many negative effects.

X-_X-_X

"What'd ya' need, Logan?" asked Rogue. She was hesitant to leave Jamie in the entryway with the other kids, as he was the youngest, but he was old enough to not need to be coddled, and he was strong enough to boot.

"There have already been two bomb threats this morning," he said bluntly.

"Bomb threats?" said Rogue, floored. Remy's gaze sharpened. "It's not even nine yet."

"Which can only mean that things are going to get much worse," said Logan, his anger nearly tangible. "Anti-mutant groups have been excited by this information, and think they're doing the governments job by trying to eradicate the mutant populace."

"Is it safe here, den?" asked Gambit, his eyes were already taking in the large windows, as if he expected an attack to be mounted any moment, which he probably did.

Wolverine didn't respond to that question, only giving the two a grim look. "I'm not too worried about Chuck and Ororo," he said "They're strong, and they only have the two of themselves to take care of."

Rogue nodded. "But," said Logan, he paused and then growled harshly "Something's happened, and it's the reason the kids aren't allowed to watch the television from now on."

"What?" asked Rogue, fear mounting in her. What could be so terrible?

"There was a massacre in Savannah, Georgia."

"Human or Mutant?" asked Gambit quickly.

"Mutant," replied Wolverine, his voice low and terrible.

Rogue had felt relieved for a moment because her brain realized that it hadn't been a group of Mutants retaliating on humans, and then she felt terrible. People like her, people like Logan and Professor X, had been killed, her anger mounted.

"_Combien de_?" asked Gambit, Logan understanding his question.

"Thirty," he shrugged "Or forty, they're not sure."

"Thirty or forty Mutants?" Rogue shouted. She felt water well within her eyes involuntarily, though no matter how sad she was feeling those tears were tears of pure rage. "How can that even be possible, what about their powers? Couldn't they defend themselves?"

Remy saw a glint of something shiny on Logan's knuckles, and realized the man had to exercise a large dosage of self control. He too was feeling an uncontrollable amount of rage; however he was much more practiced in the art of keeping his emotions to himself, locked up where they couldn't be used by others. He also didn't have to use his empathy to realize that sadness and hurt was being echoed all throughout the mansion as well.

"It seems that many of the backers of this bill are being backed by others as well," replied Logan "Idiots who develop weaponry."

He gave them a very leveled look "Anti-Mutant weaponry."

Rogue didn't contain her gasp, and Remy felt her emotions plummet. "How dare they?" she demanded.

"Corporatocracy," sneered Logan. "At any rate, I ain't letting those kids find out, Red and Cyke already know, and Kitty and Kurt found out as well, they're the ones that shut off the rec room TV before the others could find out."

"I'm expecting the cable to be shut off soon, anyway," said Logan, his anger lessening some. "Luckily we have generators for the electricity."

Remy nodded, though it seemed unnecessary. The Wolverine appeared to be in a one minded track. He was running through mansion defenses, and planning different routes of action.

"We're gonna' head up stairs," said Rogue, Wolverine grunted a reply.

"Least this will take Kit's mind off things," said Rogue as they walked towards the door.

"_Oui, Chere_," said Remy, managing a slight grin. "It seems like no one care dat dere is Acolytes on their team now too."

Logan heard their conversation as they left the room. "War does that to people," he muttered to himself, watching them move out of the room, and then turning his gaze out of the window. He had lives to look after, and he's be damned if he let them down this time.

X-_X-_X

When the doorbell rang all the older students seated in the rec room eyed one another with trepidation. Looking around to see who would propose a plan of action. It was Scott that spoke, the natural born leader of the group.

"If Wolverine let them past the gate then he must have had good reason," Scott reasoned, rising from his seated position, Jean rising beside him. His announcement was followed a few grudging agreements and more than a few grunts of uncaring.

"Unless it's another parent," muttered Jubilee, popping her gum smartly.

"Even so," grimaced Scott. He looked towards Jean, but they just swapped a look, Jean should be able to tell who was at the door.

Jean turned "Bobby?" she said "You should come too."

Bobby did so, rising swiftly with his mouth set in a hard line. He left the room, following the others with an odd swagger in his step; it seemed as if he were trying to seem confident, or perhaps even brave.

Remy stood and followed as well, tugging Rogue behind him without a word. It was in a thief's best interest to know every move that happened surrounding them. It was especially in a thief's interest if things got out of hand. Never play to one man's poker hand, play the table.

It was easy to tell who it was at the door as soon as the oak was swung wide. The man looked just like a twenty five year older Bobby. They shared the same chin, the same high cheek bones, and the same hair line. Bobby's eyes were obviously from the short woman at the man's side though, and his temper as well.

As soon as her eyes found bobby that temper flared and her mouth opened. "Robert we're going home now!"

Bobby actually did appear to be trying to remain relatively calm. "I'm an adult," he said, curt and to the point "I make my own decisions."

"You are still part of this family," the woman said "You should respect that."

"Not really," his voiced dropped and it was obvious that his temper was diving straight into sarcasm. "Unless you count the _humongous_ amount of communication that we've had the past four years as family respect."

"It's been hard on the family," said the man "Having to deal with what you-you _are_."

Bobby gave a frustrated snort and ran a hand through his hair anxiously. "Get out of my sight. Professor X said that you'd come around, and that I wouldn't have to deal with this, but I don't care anymore. I have the ability to protect what I care about, and I'm going to do it."

"You'd rather be with _these_ people than the family that cared for you for years? The mother that birthed you?" the woman demanded, attempting to push her way past Scott. Scott didn't attempt to stop her but he planted his feet steadfastly so that the woman received the message that he didn't want her going any further.

"What were you planning on doing if I came with you?" asked Bobby, gesturing with his arms. Remy thought that that was a fair question.

"We'd hide you of course," she said as if it were obvious "So that no one could hurt you."

Bobby paused at this. Was she trying to articulate actual concern?

"And so that you couldn't hurt anyone as well," said the man, the woman nodding along "At least until they find a cure to this deformity."

Scott slammed the door in their faces.

"Why the hell even let people like them in?" demanded Rogue, anger ripping through her.

"They're parents," said Logan, coming from the elevator that led downstairs "We have to."

He stopped next to Bobby, putting a hand on the frozen boy's shoulder. Bobby looked stricken. The man's words had truly shocked him. Remy could feel the distress radiating from him.

"One-Eye," Wolverine grunted "Run down and make sure they get out the gates and no one gets in, on the monitors."

"Come on," Wolverine said to Bobby in a surprisingly soft voice "Time you had your first drink. Don't tell the others, I'm not a bartender."

"Ah can't believe them," said Rogue, slamming her fist into the wall and looking up at Remy. "How dare they say those things to Bobby!"

"Remy know, _chere_," Gambit said, only slightly soothing, he knew Rogue would more than likely want to work off the frustration before she would be settled to be soothed. "One day all o' dem are gonna' get their comeuppance."

"God, Ah hope so," she said, cracking her neck. "Let's spar swamp rat, just you an' me."

"Remy'd love to," he said, pushing a self confident grin onto his face and following the girl out of the room.

X-_X-_X

The younger students had been sent downstairs, to the much more protected underground of the mansion. There had been more threats as the day went on, and as such the older students, and the remaining two instructors sat in the rec room, watching the television, straining to learn what was going on in the outside world. Beast had done some research earlier in the day as to the nation wide conflict but they needed to know how the media was reporting on this.

"Has the Professor called?" asked Jean, eyeing the two older men.

"No," said Logan "Just Ororo, for a couple minutes."

A loud explosion on the television screen distracted them for a moment. An animal rights group had attacked a house in San Francisco where there were a group of mutants living together who all shared animalistic mutations similar to Rahne's. The activist group kept persistently claiming that the mutants had been experimenting on animals.

"What'd she have to say?" asked Scott, his glasses flashed in the dim light. Remy kept rubbing small circles onto Rogue's back, drawing them slowly and soothingly, she had her eyes on the television, he had his eyes on the conversation.

"She said they managed to get a meeting with the President tomorrow along with a couple of senators and congressmen," he sighed. Everyone could tell the man was restless. It wasn't in his psyche to sit and do the waiting game.

"Hopefully the meeting gives some sort of relief from this madness," heaved Beast, his great form seemed smaller with the sadness he was seeped in.

"How long is the meeting? Did she say?" asked Jean.

"Fifteen minutes," grunted Logan.

"Ridiculous," muttered Remy. It was obvious that Washington wasn't seemingly taking them seriously.

"Hey!" exclaimed Rogue and Jubilee at the same time. Everyone's attention was immediately brought back towards the television where the local news cast was filming a disruption in downtown Bayville. The reporter was a somewhat stocky male, running along the outside of what appeared to be the police station.

"_Just moments ago an attack was launched on police headquarters by a local mutant gang, they claim to hold no allegiance to Florida's two main mutant gangs that we've been hearing about all day, they don't wear gang identification of any kind-."_

The camera cut to a view of what was happening outside the police headquarters. The main foundation was disrupted and crumbling and the police present were firing both high and low. The camera, at first, didn't focus or zoom in onto what mutants were fighting the police, just their struggle, however after a few seconds of intense noise and video it finally did.

The Brotherhood, with Pyro, was destroying whatever was in their path. Scarlet Witch was floating and cackling above them as she relieved them of their weapons.

"_This is anarchy in downtown Bayville! Absolute Anarchy….!"_

"Damn it!" Howled Logan rising, everyone's emotions filtered toward Remy's empathy. Anger, Rage more like, sadness, and most of all shock was present. Who would have thought the Brotherhood would go this far without a leader telling them their orders?

Just then the lights flickered, the television lost power, and they were bathed in darkness.

**X-_X-_X**

**I hope I delivered a good chapter to ya'll. We're mounting the main conflict; I'm not sure how many chapters this story will end up being, probably around thirteen.**

**Hope you review! Thanks!**

**-AnimeSiren**


	10. Chapter 10

**Trapped in a Bottle**

**Chapter Ten**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

There was chaos for about half a minute before Wolverine's orders were understood and everyone stood still, the darkness washing over them like easy prey. The high strung emotions of the situation didn't help matters however before anyone could get too hasty a low hum ran through the floor of the mansion and the generators kicked on.

"Right," said Logan the instant the lights came back on "Suit up."

Suiting up took the team much longer than it would have otherwise, however emotional states had to be taken into consideration. Everyone was reacting to the prospect that they'd be going out into the town that they'd known for years, the town that was currently in upheaval at the impending bill of mutant rights.

Some were much calmer than others. Gambit had been through war before, real war fought on the street, war that left a head count, and war that had no victor. His mind was easy going, processing each thought as it came.

Suit up, prepare to stop the fight in town, protect Rogue if needed, assess the condition, and decide on future action…

Whatever everyone expected town to look like, it certainly wasn't what met their eyes. When their SUV's pulled into the center of the conflict some expected there to be a ghost town setting, people hiding with fear being nearly palpable. Others were envisioning a scene from an action movie, two forces moving against each other in panic and adrenaline.

No one expected this.

The center of town was in pure animalistic anarchy. Buildings were quickly showing signs of vandalism, and the trail of brotherhood deeds was lighted by fire and warped street lamps. People were screaming, sobbing, and throwing themselves in whichever direction they thought might be safe.

Logan paused, a quick order on his lips. For just a moment he was back in the middle of any number of wars, watching the same scene over and over again. "Better hurry, Chuck," he murmured to himself. He didn't know if even his adamantium skeleton had enough vitality for the war that this scene was hinting at.

"Three teams!" Scott shouted, surprising a fair few of the students who were expecting Logan to delegate orders. "We need to form three teams and come at the Brotherhood from different sides."

A few moments later, as Gambit and his team left the crumbling structure of the Police Headquarters behind them and continued down Main Street, he caught sight of Pyro's bright mane of hair and let himself take in a deep breath. He knew the destruction of town needed to be stopped, but he did have a small qualm against taking down a former comrade.

While the Acolytes had never been quite so tight that they trusted each other with their lives, there was a certain amount of camaraderie that formed when you bled alongside someone.

Rogue's gloved hand rested on his side a moment, her concerned gaze coming into his line of sight. As if reading his mind softly she said "Ah'll get close to him and drain 'im, he'll be out before he can think to have to fight."

Remy nodded once, his gaze leaving her, perhaps, too understanding emerald eyes. He glanced back at Jean, who was in their group along with Kurt, and waited for her sign that Scott had given the go ahead command. It came just a moment later, and then all at once they were launching themselves into the fight.

Theirs was the only four man team; however Kurt was delegated to a role of running interference. He needed to grab members of the Brotherhood and put them in different positions to throw of their fight, and he needed to do it without giving the Brotherhood enough time to harm him.

Remy ducked a round of speedy punches and kicks from Quicksilver and spun quickly as Pietro tried to run around the side of him and avoid a counter attack. Extending his Bo staff at the same time as he turned Gambit managed to land a hit on Quicksilver's abdomen, winding him enough to slow him enough that Gambit was able to land a few hits of his own.

Rogue gave a wordless war cry as she launched into a hand to hand round of combat with Pyro, keeping his hands too busy to ignite his flames. Jean was tossing rubble into the center of the mix, as Scott and his team erupted on the other side, fighting to get to the middle where Scarlet Witch was located, alongside Wolverine and his team.

Gambit spared an eye at his comrades before looking quickly around them. First lesson was always assessing your surroundings. There were still people in the area, fifty yards off, but they were still there. The majority of them were seemed to be reporters, and now being a new team member of the X-Men he worried about their faces getting caught up with this drama. The media could spin the fight either way, they could show them trying to stop it—or they could show them as part of it.

"Pyro, _mon ami_!" Remy shouted above the din. "Long time no see, no?"

Pyro's semi-maniacal laughter barked out across the fight. "Aye, mate," he said, running from a shot of debris from Jean and watching as Rogue got distracted into a fight with Blob. "When ya' said you was leaving I never fickled a thought that ya' was taking up with the X-Men! How very…legal of you."

Quicksilver was too much of an immature fighter for his own good, he was too interested in the words being exchanged by his adversary and comrade to focus on what Gambit was throwing his way. Of course, this worked quite well in Remy's favor and the next moment he sent an unconscious, but not too badly hurt, Pietro to the ground.

"Found out dey got a pretty good t'ing going on up dere," Gambit said, breathe heaving. His tone was light, with a snide edge to it; his best angle was to convince John of some sort of alternative.

The two came closer together, Remy slightly relieved that it seemed like his former teammate wasn't going to attack him quite yet.

John looked over his shoulder briefly, throwing a superfluous grin at Remy "This wouldn't be about no sheila now would it?"

Gambit felt his grin turn just a slight bit sincere at the edges. "Well, dem ladies, dey just come to Remy don't dey?"

John laughed, but Remy saw a chance to proceed further.

"Dat Professor not quite as around the bend as y' t'ink," John gave him a humoring look, and Gambit hurried to continue, hoping he didn't sound too much like a talking bill board. He wasn't there to be a recruiter, just a grudging peacekeeper.

"He's at de capitol now, working out plans to stop all o' this."

"Yeah?" said John. "That's jolly and all but all I'm hearin' is you got yourself a gal, mate."

As John laughed Remy tried not to feel too despaired, he was occupying John from fighting, and that was worth something.

"Dey got de _whole_ package up there," Remy continued as he waved a half gloved hand in the air "Open to all mutants, and there's more freedom then Remy ever got with ol' magsy."

John seemed to tire of Remy's line. Truth be told it did sound more like an infomercial than a convincing halt of arms. However John's mind wasn't drawing back to the flames of battle quite yet.

"How's Colossus?"

"Y' t'ink he came to the X-Men?" asked Remy raising a brow.

"Ah, no fooling now, mate," replied John, his grin fading "I know he did, he told me as much."

"Wasn't trying t'fool," Remy said "Piotr gone to find his _petite soeur_."

"No shit?" said John, laughing "Well that's grand, does feel a bit barmy though, seeings how the teams not a team anymore."

"Remy and y' can be a team any time," said Gambit, forcing an uneasy chuckle. The battle around them wasn't doing much to help his confidence in his new role of do-gooder. "Just come on up t' the _maison_."

"Ah," said John waving a hand "Wanda be a sheila that's much more fun to hang around."

Both their eyes were drawn to the center of the battle where, surprisingly, Rogue was shouting up to the Scarlet Witch.

X-_X-_X

"Ah'm sayin' ya' got to stop this!" shouted Rogue up into the air, the wind whipping about her fiercely. It took her a moment to concentrate, the energy crackling through the air making her dizzy.

"Didn't you see what they were doing?" demanded the enraged girl floating above all their heads "Killing off mutants like an extermination!"

Rogue knew that she couldn't tell Wanda that her rage was unjust, because she felt it burning through her body just the same as the rest of them did.

A couple dozen feet above the ground the Scarlet Witch grimaced and a few low words snuck out of her mouth before she realized it. "My father was right."

"The Professor's in DC!" Rogue shouted up "He's gonna' make them stop!"

"No one can stop them!" cried out Scarlet Witch, energy erupted from her and Rogue hastily jumped to the side to avoid a bolt of hex. Wanda choked back a couple sobs "Just like these powers, we're all cursed to live a hell on Earth!"

Rogue's eyes widened. Battle raged on around her, she could hear Scott's distinctive commands, and hear Logan's growl, but just for a quick moment her eyes sought out something else. She looked behind her, taking her eyes off the distraught mutant above her, and found Gambit.

He was standing alongside Pyro, the two of them a direct contradiction to the conflict waging around them. Gambit's mouth was set in a grim line, and he looked right back at her. His eyes were bright. Rogue knew what he thought.

He didn't think they'd be able to stop them.

Rogue thrust herself closer to The Scarlet Witch, fighting against the pain that the air caused her she stood directly underneath Wanda and called up through the air, her voice ripping through her throat.

"The Professor can do anything, Wanda," Rogue shouted through the wind, unbeknownst to the girls a hasty reporter strained to train his camera on the actions, catching the conflict on film. "Ah know it sounds corny, believe me but you gotta' believe me, after what Ah've been through with him, Ah know he can do this."

"Ah couldn't touch a person, another damn human," Rogue continued in earnest, her throat was already protesting "Now, Ah can hold it for a few minutes, and it's all because of him! He's good people, Wanda, good people!"

The wind lessened and Wanda really did look down at Rogue, descending a few feet downwards. Her face was pained, and as Rogue noticed that most of the Brotherhood had been subdued she noticed Scarlet Witch's own pained face. This conflict was affecting everyone, not just the 'good guys.'

"Trust him!"

Wanda's feet touched down to the ground softly. The conflict drained away from the two of them, noise diminishing into the background. "Can he really stop this?" she asked.

Rogue felt a shiver run down her spine. In a split second revelation she realized that the X-Men weren't the only ones who felt scared and alone in the world of humans.

"Ah promise," said Rogue, conviction dripping from every word. They stared at each other a few moments longer, their eyes boring into one another's, trying to test each other's validity.

Suddenly the sound was back around them, and they were faced with battle again. The town was chaos, the state was chaos, and probably the whole damn country was chaos, but they needed just a few minutes where their minds weren't in chaos.

A deep rumble over took the ground all of a sudden, and a few people rocked on shaky legs. From behind the conflict Rogue watched the down town street become filled by a dark grey blob of color, a blob that was steadily advancing towards them.

"Alright!" shouted Logan, he called everyone's attention, and everyone gave it to him too. There were more than just a few looking to be reassured by an authority figure.

"You have a few decisions to make and fast," he addressed the Brotherhood. "Shit's hit the fan, it's there, we're at the point none of us wanted to be at, so you got to ask: What are you going to do, huh?"

They eyed one another uneasily, and Wanda stepped towards Logan, Lance quick behind her. "What the hell do you think we can do?" demanded Wanda.

Logan didn't take attitude easily. "You can stand here, and face the god damned US Military," he spat, gesturing to the blob that was coming up the street, now identifiable as a military convoy, and to the adjacent street where another was moving to meet it. "Or you can make a choice, and finally act more like adults than morons."

Everyone shared a horrified look at the military advancements, and Lance demanded "What the hell's the choice? Our house got burned down, what have we got?"

"You can come with us," Logan said, stabbing a finger into the air, his claws catching the failing daylight.

"What?" demanded several voices, on both sides.

Pyro took a step forward, his face oddly serious. Remy watched him with slight trepidation; one never knew exactly what the usually maniacal aussie was going to do. John looked back over his shoulder at Gambit, his eyes narrowed shrewdly. He studied the man for a moment and then swaggered up to stand next to Wanda.

"Sounds like a key adventure, aye?"

Lance glared at Pyro, and over his shoulder Quicksilver glared at Gambit, rubbing a bruised collar bone. Wanda spared Pyro a glance, the edge of her firmly set mouth softening some.

"What's the catch?" asked Lance "I tried that once remember? Have to follow all your rules?"

"Of course you're going to follow the rules," said Logan "Every damned one. But we can provide what you need right now—shelter and security."

They looked amongst themselves, trying to decide with looks, not wanting to speak openly and be vulnerable. The noise of the quickly approaching convoys urging them along, and not leaving much room for negotiation.

"Damn it," swore Lance, looking behind him at Blob and Toad, his eyes swept back to the X-Men, his gaze lingering on Kitty.

"We'll do it," said Wanda decisively, a couple of her brethren looking at this with semi shocked and betrayed expressions "But we don't have to like it."

Rogue let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and felt a tension in her shoulder blades alleviate itself. She wasn't sure living with the Brotherhood under their roof was necessarily the best thing that could happen, but she sure as hell understood its necessity.

"Hurry, children," said Beast, clapping a hand on Logan's shoulder "Load into the vehicles, we have to leave. Now."

They did. All of them followed Beast's instructions, even the Brotherhood, without a single word.

That day was a day for mutant history, and it wasn't a day for petty mutant disagreements. There was true strife in the world, erupting across the nation since before daybreak. They'd have to put aside more than just their beliefs to be able to live their lives in freedom.

They'd have to learn life lessons to survive. They'd have to learn lessons that could only be learned under the most distressing of circumstances. Duress would label them as unique, and their next choices would label mutants for the nation, and set an example that would echo across the globe.

They still could call themselves 'X-Men' and 'Brotherhood,' but they'd have to learn to finally be 'Mutant' first and foremost.

X-_X-_X

That night everyone was found, predictably, in the underground half of the mansion, holed up and prepared for a veritable siege. The top half of the mansion was closed and on lock down, but Wolverine had ordered that everyone was going to be living underneath the mansion until they had some word on the Mutant Bill.

When the X-Men had returned back to the mansion with the Brotherhood in tow, the younger students had had an eruption of curiosity and rebuke for the rest of the X-Men. After awhile things had settled, students had scattered to their own activities, and Remy had sought out John, and drug him into a corner so that they might have a more private conversation.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, occasionally punctured by the crackling of a new flame creation, Gambit opened his mouth, steeled himself with his usual confidence and then let his drawl form the words that were on his mind.

"These X-Men, they be good company to keep, y' know?" he said "Even on a long term basis, yeah?"

John gave him a grin "Sounds like you're trying to sell be a mix of bad prawns, mate."

Gambit ran a hand through his hair, he wasn't a man to be nervous, but ever since facing John in the battle he had been bothered by the fact that they were no longer on the same side. "Gambit just tryin' t' say that Piotr like it here, Gambit do too, so you, _mon ami_, probably would _aussi_."

A lot of people didn't give John enough credit, when the man wanted to be completely honest about something he was. "I understand what yer sayin' mate, but I like how things have been going. Wanda enjoys the crazy, you know?"

Remy nodded, smiling wryly "Gambit knows all 'bout making choices for de _femmes_."

John laughed, sending a dancing flame in the form of Rogue up and around Gambit.

"Wanda'd like it here too," Gambit said. "Not havin' t'smell toad's stink no mo.'"

John flipped his lighter shut, his eyes still reflecting light even after the flame extinguished "Colossus like it here?"

Gambit took a moment to grin, and eyed the end of the hallway they were in. "Gambit sure Colossus'd like anywhere the kitten was."

John's eyes rose to his wickedly colored hair line and he barked out a chuckle "Piotr find himself a sheila has he?"

Gambit nodded "Shadowcat."

"How bloody interesting."

Gambit cleared his throat, trying to aim for a more serious tone "Gambit just wanted t' say dat these X-Men aint what we thought they were, no? They a lot more…honest. If y' ever need anyt'ing dey help y'."

John pushed himself off the way, hissing slightly as the cold metal left his back. "Colossus is a survivor, and he'll be fine anywhere he is, anywhere he can be himself, you, mate, are a hunter, and you'll be fine anywhere you can find some challenges, but me? I'm a wee bit different. I'm a wanderer, I need places to wander."

"Alright," said Gambit letting out a grand sigh and smirking at his former teammate. He pushed of the wall beside John and pretended to dust himself off. "Guess we best get back, no?"

X-_X-_X

"Kitty!" the half shout came as a surprise to Katherine Pryde. She was on her way out of the Danger Room, rumpled and sweaty in her uniform she wasn't looking to talk to anyone until she'd had a nice long, hot shower. She turned, however, and donned her usual smile, only to be startled.

"L—Lance?" she stuttered out. She wouldn't say that she had necessarily been avoiding the Brotherhood member, but the inference wouldn't be far off the mark.

"Hey, Kitty," he said when he drew up next to her. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at his feet for a minute.

"What's up, Lance?" Kitty asked quickly.

"Well," he said, and then paused. He furrowed his brow as if he were trying to figure something out. "Look, I was just wondering something."

"What?" asked Kitty. She looked covertly around her, trying to assess whether they were being observed by anyone in particular. They weren't. Most of the other's that had been in DR with her were already on their way to the showers.

"John told me about you and the Russian guy," he said finally, still not necessarily meeting her eyes.

"Piotr," said Kitty, her voice going that much sterner "His name in Piotr."

"Yeah," replied Lance "Him."

"What about him?" she demanded back, she was far too tired for the conversation she thought was going to take place.

"I don't mean to argue or anything," said Lance quickly, back pedaling. "But I just wanted to tell you something, and then I swear there's nothing else I need to say."

"Then what do you need to, like, say?" asked Kitty, her anger faded quickly, she was really too worn out to hold onto it for long, but it was replaced by confusion.

"I guess I just wanted to say that I always thought we'd end up getting back together," Lance said finally "I don't really mean anything by it, but I wanted to tell you that, because…I always thought it was true."

"Oh, Lance," murmured Kitty, moving forward and laying a hand on his arm. "I don't think we would have."

"Why?"

"We were totally different people back then," Kitty said, slowly. "We were used to different things then, and wanted different things, but its different today; we're all grown up, Lance. We've graduated, and we have real responsibilities now."

"How does that change anything?" half whispered Lance, his soft eyes the same as Kitty remembered.

"Lance," Kitty said, trying not to be too forceful "Think about all the things that have happened since we were in Illinois, and then ask yourself if you haven't, like, changed. I'm an X-Man now, and I _feel_ that responsibility."

Lance knew her words were more or less correct, but didn't seem ready to admit that.

Kitty stared right at him. "I believe that what the instructors tell us is true. I know that I have to be prepared for to take on the responsibilities that are going to come. I know I am a mutant."

"I know," murmured Lance. Kitty continued.

"I want to, like, be the person that the Professor thinks we can be. I swear I'll do it."

**X-_X-_X**

**Thanks for reading, please review and let me know if there's anything you'd like to see in the story.**

**-AnimeSiren**


	11. Chapter 11

**Trapped In A Bottle**

**Chapter Eleven**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"Still no word from Charles?" Hank asked quietly. When he received no immediate answer he swung his body up from his crouching position and moved out into the middle of the medlab, approaching the man who stood there, wreathed in half shadows.

There were only a few lights on in the lab, as Wolverine had surprised him as he was making ready to leave for the night. The man had been bristling with frustration, and what Hank suspected as worry, and had only spoken a few terse statements before they lapsed into their current silence.

Dr. McCoy believed that Wolverine didn't enjoy living in the underground belly of the mansion, his more animalistic nature and natural psyche leading him to crave the openness of the above world. However it wasn't snide complaints about their current situation that greeted Hank that night, it was something far worse.

"Ororo's missed the last three check in points," he'd said "Not a damn word from Chuck either."

Hank swallowed, loudly, and tried speaking once more, his mind scurrying with this new information "You suspect some malicious plot?"

"No need for fancy wording," grunted Wolverine "Something's gone bad, real bad."

Hank felt his chest seize up, a caustic Shakespearean sonnet brimming to the surface. In all his usual calm, he felt abandoned. "What are we going to do?" he exclaimed.

"We only have a few options," Logan replied, he looked around at the medical instruments on the lab tables, dismissing them and turning to look at Beast. "But only one I'm willing to take."

"My friend, it seems that our only option is to produce whatever means of rescue we can," Hank replied, he cast a quick glance at the clock, his fur was crawling with an unprecedented need to make a quick deduction.

"We're taking the kids, Hank," Wolverine replied "We're going to D.C., and we're going to get the Professor and Storm back."

"I will make immediate preparations," Dr. McCoy looked around at his dimly lit lab, already mentally planning what he would need to bring with them.

"We're not going to leave until morning," the Wolverine replied "The Brotherhood'll be fighting with us, and after what went on today all the kids need a few moments to catch their breath, they need to land on their feet running."

"You're not concerned about what could be happening to Storm or the Professor?"

"Furball," began Wolverine, his eyes flashing "You and me both know that if someone's taken the Professor they'll need him, they won't risk doing anything heady with him, and that'll protect Storm too."

Hank nodded, still not liking the conclusion. He was willing to step up in moments that required guidance and medical needs, but when plotting a veritable war Beast knew enough to step back and watch the more experienced man work.

X-_X-_X

Wolverine surveyed the group, and ended up crossing his arms out of a sense of frustrated anxiety. They were sitting before him in two distinct groups, they had trained in the DR together just once the night previously and it was very obvious not enough time for the two groups to have meshed as much as needed. These kids needed to be able to read each other's movements, to know what decisions they were going to make.

They needed to be able to face combat together.

He felt Hank approach him from behind, finally joining the assembly, and was grateful when he didn't try to say anything to alleviate the situation to him.

Wolverine drew in a breath, threw one last glance at the students, and then stood up and approached them.

"The Professor and Storm have dropped out of contact," he said simply, his predatory gaze sweeping across the group. After a moment of comprehension, voices sprung out in a chorus.

"What do you mean-?"

"_Out_ of contact?"

"What're we—,"

"—we have to do something!"

The majority of the voices and exclamations came from the institution children, but there was a definitive feeling of unease among the teens of the brotherhood, and it was obvious that even though they had opposed the Professor they had come to rely on the fortress of an image that he presented for mutants. Members like Lance were voicing their opinions loudly.

"How can your leader have just dropped out of contact?" he said standing, his arms spread wide. Toad shouted out agreement from behind him "What does it mean the _humans_ have done to him?"

At this Beast took a quick step forward before the latter statement could be misconstrued. "Please, children, calm down." He waved his massive arms in the air but still some students attempted to get their thoughts heard.

"Shut it!" Logan snapped, his voice ripping into a slight growl.

"Logan," Beast's voice was slightly reproachful, but he took advantage of the given silence.

"We must remember," Beast said, leveling a gaze to the once again seated Avalanche "Above all else, that it is not _humans_ that are doing the atrocities that we have seen witnessed, it is _terrorists_ that seek to do these things."

"They'd like you to think that," Pietro's brooding visage became noticeable in the crowd "But the government's probably behind it."

"As if," Kitty snorted in response, rolling her eyes.

"Look," Wolverine said "I believe in a good conspiracy as much as the next person, but all of you are missing the objective."

"You Brotherhood members," he pointed a finger at them, a long adamantium claw peeking out "Are X-Men now, however temporary you may view it, and X-Men are being relied upon to do what's right."

Rogue drew in a breath, studying the man that she had always seen as a mentor. He was on edge, more so than she had seen him in quite a while. He was seemingly firm on what action he was explaining, but his eyes were off. His eyes were acting as if he were seeing another time entirely, something before the X-Men.

"Remy knew th' _merde_ be hittin' the fan soon," Gambit mumbled in her ear, slipping an arm around her waist.

"The Professor means everything to our cause," Rogue said, just able to keep the slight tremble from her voice "It's our duty to get him and Storm back!"

"We will, _Cherie_," Gambit said, his voice hard. He swiveled his red on black gaze back front and center "We had best."

"We, all of us, are going as a team to Washington, D.C." Wolverine started to explain. "We need to rescue out teammates, but that's not the only thing we need to do."

Beast nodded along with his statement, already surmising much of the next explanation.

"Whoever had the Professor and Storm, or whatever is delaying them is an enemy to peace," Wolverine waved a hand through the air "And not just to the peace between humans and mutants, but to the peace that we try to protect every damn day."

"We'll be showing them," he said "As members of the mutant community, that we _can_ prove ourselves legitimate to this country."

"Or we'll be hopping to our deaths," Toad yawned "But whatever, yo."

Scarlet Witch glared at him from the other side of John, but she wasn't the only one that was expressing displeasure at his smart assed comment.

"Look," Gambit said, rising, and surprising Rogue. The man had never really taken a center stage position with the group since his move in. "Dere be only one way t' look at dis," he said "We got work dat need to be done, and we're going to do it."

"Aye, mate," Pyro whispered delightedly, a small crackle of heat accentuating his wide grin.

Gambit looked both at the leaders of the X-Men, and at the Brotherhood members "We not in the game to win some battle anymo', we're here to be mo', to be what de mutant community has needed fo' a _long_ time."

Many of the students avoided his eye sight. It wasn't because of his demonic glance though; it was because of their own misgivings. They all knew what needed to be done, some more so than others, but many of them weren't ready to admit their place in the world, even though they had been trained for it.

Boom Boom eyed Pietro, and he scratched the back of his neck and eyed Lance in return. They Brotherhood shared their own kind of glance, wondering what they had gotten into when they signed on to be part of what they had always denied.

"Gambit's right," said Scott standing, and surprising more than a few of the students "What else could we possibly do? We know the problem, we know how to fix it, and we have the means to."

He scrambled for words for a moment, his throat working even as no sound came out. Jean laid a hand on his arm and he desperately swung his gaze over to the Brotherhood group.

"Look, you guys were angry at what's been happening across the country," he said, his arms working in front of him "We were too."

He received no response.

"I'm saying that we both know what it felt like, we have this in common, as does the entire mutant community, and not just the mutants, but humans are feeling this too. You guys have been trained to fight against us right? And we've been trained to go against guys like you, but is that the real point to what we're doing?"

Beast narrowed his eyes shrewdly; tempering a gaze at the young man that he just then realized was no longer quite so young. So much of the teenager had fled the boy's image; he was being the leader he was bred to be.

"No, it's not," Scott continued, his voice getting louder and gaining a forceful edge "We have training to save the future of our kind. It's not going to be in mutant superiority or human superiority, it's going to be in showing the rest of the nation, and the world, that this next stage in evolution is a stage that is here to stay, and that it is an evolution that is going to become a solid, reliable part of this country."

No one refuted Scott, or what he was saying. Blob looked down in confusion, Pietro and several other sharing a snort of only half mocking derision, Kitty looked determined, and Rogue and Gambit nodded to each other.

Wolverine broke the silence. Scott sighed and turned to look at him, still standing where he was.

"We," Logan said quietly, pausing for half a breath "Leave in ten minutes. Suit up."

Beast didn't bother raising his quiet murmur so that the other man could hear him, he was confident that his words wouldn't go unnoticed.

"You need not worry, my friend. We're no longer sending children into battle; we're sending individuals, adults who'll know their own path when they find it."

"Feh," Wolverine's demeanor lightened marginally "Well, fur ball, that may be an even scarier prospect."

X-_X-_X

Beast closed the last clasp on his medical case, and moved to hastily meet the students and Wolverine in the main preparation room. He had everything packed that, as a doctor, he could possibly need in relation to the students. He wouldn't fail them.

The preparation area was a flurry of activity. Half the students were suiting up, and the halves that were already suited were helping to make the X-Jet ready. Rogue was standing on the loading platform, shouting orders out to the others.

Beast sidestepped a crate of supplies that Jean was telepathically loading and moved to join Wolverine.

"All set," Beast said warmly, tapping the side of his case.

Wolverine looked at him sideways and then rubbed his chin. "We've got the younger students to worry about."

"I spoke to Moira last night," Beast replied, he was somewhat puzzled that Wolverine hadn't assumed the matter was already solved "She'll be here within the hour to join the younger students."

"And to know our security codes," muttered Logan.

"The Professor has the utmost trust in Dr. McTaggert," Hank began to say.

"And I have the utmost trust in you," Wolverine countered, turning and laying a hand on Beast's fur clad arm. "We can't have outsiders here at a time like this, and I need to go to D.C."

"You want me to remain behind?" Dr. McCoy couldn't halt the small string of incredulity that slipped out in his voice.

"I'm asking you to," replied Wolverine. He took his hand back and turned to watch the finals preparations be met. Many of the students were lining up, waiting for the final signal.

"I'm not going to win this argument," Beast stated ruefully.

"Not likely," grinned Logan.

"I will take care of the students," Beast agreed, his shoulders sagging downward.

"Thank you," said Logan, leaning in and staring at the other man. He seemed genuinely relieved, and his glance was sincere.

Hank sighed and decided that if he was one of the only people that Logan would trust implicitly that that wasn't the worst thing that could happen to him.

"Moira's not going to be pleased."

"Better you than me."

X-_X-_X

Rogue watched as the other students hurried up the loading platform of the blackbird, some looked determined, and many, mainly the Brotherhood group, looked like they had pumped themselves up in expectations of fun.

Gambit appeared at her shoulder.

"Ready t' make _histoire_, _ma chere_?" Rogue could feel the grin that spread across his face even without turning to look at him.

"Ah'm ready to save the Professor and Storm," she replied back. Rogue felt Remy wrap his hand around her own gloved one and squeeze her hand briefly before letting it go.

"Den dat's what we'll do, no?" His look was reassuring, but the tension in his shoulders was anything but.

Rogue didn't say anything in reply, just tried to must an easier face to look up at the Cajun with. With a deep and steady breath she took a step up onto the platform, Gambit at her side, and then stopped when the room filled with blaring alarms and flashing red lights.

"What in the—," Rogue was cut off.

"Intruder alert!" shouted Logan, moving like a bullet off the blackbird, and landed back on the ground with pure animal grace. Students streamed off the jet after him, looking frantically around as if they expected the intruders to be right in the room with them.

Rogue moved forward, skidding to a halt at Logan's side. "What's goin' on?" she asked loudly over the siren.

He dismissed her with a glance, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers. "Must be the sub levels," Rogue heard him say to himself. It made sense, she supposed, that Logan would be the one to know about the security.

Rogue hadn't realized that Gambit was behind her, but he had made out Wolverine's comment as well. "Dere be only _deux_ entrances to de sub-levels dat could trip dose alarms, no?"

Rogue couldn't stop the small smirk, and leave it to Gambit to have studied up on the mansion security.

Wolverine spared a moment of Cajun frustration before turning and actually addressing them, hastily "Yeah, which means we need to secure the entrances immediately. Take a group, I'll take another!"

Gambit didn't pause to wonder at Wolverine actually trusting him with a role of responsibility; he just twirled Rogue around with him, and directed them towards the mass of students, already surmising who he wanted to bring in his head.

"Pyro, _mon ami_! Scarlet Witch, Shadowcat, Quicksilver!" he called.

"Cyclops! Jean! Nightcrawler! Avalanche! Boom Boom!" Wolverine mirrored the call from across the way.

Everyone who's names were called looked at their respective caller in varying degrees of confusion, but after only a few seconds of patching things together they sprinted to catch up and follow.

The two groups were alongside one another for a while but Logan took a sharp turn up an access corridor, one that led past the danger room. Rogue watched the metal panels of walling pass by with shrewd eyes. Humans wouldn't have been able to breach the sub-levels, even if they had gotten into the mansion.

This was a mutant attack.

Remy was grinning, but not nearly as maniacally as Pyro was. They both shared an air of anticipation, and Scarlet Witch's power crackled dangerously near Rogue. Kitty was on her other side, and Quicksilver was maintaining their slow pace, looking positively mutinous at his commanded presence.

"Quicksilver!" Gambit spoke up. "When we get t' th' corridor by th' dormitories, go ahead o' us and scout the med area, dere gonna' be intruders dere most likely!"

"Whatever," muttered Quicksilver, he sped up the slightest, so that he was level with Gambit, and then looked hastily away as Scarlet Witch glared at him.

They all nearly literally flew out of the hallway they had been traversing into the wider open area that was their underground dormitory hallway, rooms lining either side of the hall. Quicksilver immediately became a blur of action, and everyone stopped short as Gambit threw himself to a halt crouching beside the entrance to the hall that Pietro had disappeared down.

Kitty was gasping for breath, but still managed to speak "Like, if the intruders are going to be by medbay," she said in a breathy whisper "Then isn't, like, Doctor McCoy in danger?"

Rogue felt her eyes widen, startled. She hadn't even thought of that. Dr. McCoy had returned to Medical as soon as preparations had begun, and had been there ever since.

"Th' doctor can take care o' himself," assured Gambit without turning to look at them.

Rogue wasn't so sure.

"Come on already," Wanda shot out "Do we have to wait for my idiot brother to return or what?"

"We dunno' whether dey be down this entrance, o' whether dey be by de Wolverine," Gambit said, his eyes flashing "We wait fo' confirmation."

"Rogue?" a new voice added itself to the mix. Rogue turned on a dime, her eyes immediately finding the form of Jamie Maddox.

"Jamie!" she said quickly "Get back in ya' room!"

Jamie's sleep befuddled eyes widened at Rogue's harsh tone "What's going on?"

"Jamie," she said, trying to be entreating "Get back!"

Jamie turned back to his doorway, but it was only after an additional moment of staring at the group, and deciding whether he was going to argue or not. It was still early in the morning, but now they had to worry about the other kids waking up before they knew what was going on.

"The kids!" Kitty said anxiously "What do we do if we have to fight down here?"

"Use 'em as a distraction," quipped John.

Shadowcat didn't have to work to form the scathing look she shot him, but Gambit brought reassurance to the group the next moment, his brown trench coat sliding against the floor as he inched closer to the entrance.

"We'll brind th' fight down to th' intruders," he said "If it necessary."

Rogue was half a minute from creeping around Gambit to look down the corridor herself, quenching her curiosity, when Quicksilver's form appeared in front of them, grinning broadly.

"You are so not going to believe this."

"Who's down there?" demanded the Scarlet Witch.

"Oh, there's intruders, sister dear," he said smugly "But not the kind you all were expecting."

"Who the hell is it?" Rogue demanded.

X-_X-_X

"Piotr!" Gambit exclaimed in astonishment.

"Mate!" Pyro followed.

Both men hurried forward to greet their comrade and friend, astounded at the sight of him. Rogue let a smile slip onto her face, especially when she noted the short, slim, blond girl at his side "Well darn," she said, slipping a hand onto her him "That must be his sister."

"Must be," agreed a quiet, awkwardly shrill voice from behind Rogue. Rogue turned, having forgotten that Kitty was behind her.

"Well, ain't ya' gonna' greet the man?" Rogue smiled, expecting uncontained bubbliness and cheer from the brunette.

Kitty actually looked anything but. She had tears beginning to leak out of her eyes, and her face had gone white as a ghost, the expression on it could almost be called an expression of dread. "He hasn't greeted me," she said back, her voice falling to a whisper. Rogue's eyebrows knit together.

However before Rogue could step in, another voice called from across the circle that had formed.

"Katya," Piotr spoke, his voice tender. "Please, Katya, come meet my sister, Illyana."

"Oh," Kitty exclaimed, a sob breaking out. She closed her eyes and then the next moment the brunette had hurled herself into the arms of Colossus, sobbing freely.

"I'm so glad you're back."

Gambit grinned over at Rogue before turning and patting Kitty's shouler, Colossus' arms wrapped around her. "I guess someone's glad t' see you, _mon ami_."

Rogue snorted.

"Katya," Colossus said, releasing the girl. His own eyes looked as if they were a little on the watery side. "I am glad to introduce you to Illyana Rasputin."

The short blond girl, shy looking with wide eyes took a step closer to Kitty "I am very pleased to meet," she said with a more definitive accent than Colossus ever possessed.

Rogue watched the trio exchange smiles and well wishes, the blare of the intruder siren still whirling around them. After a brief moment her smile faltered. Illyana looked as if she might be thirteen, and this was the girl that Magneto had kidnapped? It only made her more firm in her delight to know that the man was gone.

"What a happy reunion," sneered Pietro.

"_Shut_ it," grunted Wanda.

Gambit picked up the communicator from his waist, stepping away from Russians and Kitty. "Gambit t' Wolvie," he said happily into the communicator "We found th' intruders, it all taken care of."

Wolverine's voice crackled back, but Rogue lost what he said as Beast appeared behind Piotr.

"Isn't this a wonderful surprise?" he asked the group, his good natured tones flooding over the alarm.

"Someone up there must be barmy," smirked Pyro "Letting us get back together with the Colossus."

Scarlet Witch laughed, probably the first time Rogue had ever heard her do so, and Beast nodded along with the humor.

"When I saw who was passing my lab after the alarm went off I knew we were in no danger," Beast said, as if he felt the need to clarify.

"Yeah," drawled Rogue "But now how do we get the damn thing to turn off?"

As if there was an interdependent arising in correlation to her statement the alarm shut of the next second, and Wolverine's group turned the corner, its leader prepared for a brawl.

After a few moments of continued exclamations of surprise and introductions Wolverine eyed the returned man. "We were just about to head out."

"Why?" asked Piotr "What has happened?"

At Pyro's doubtful look Piotr amended himself "I mean besides the riots."

"The Professor and Storm are missing," responded Wolverine "Are you coming with us or what?"

"Of course," Colossus' response wasn't hesitant in the slightest; he clasped the forearm of Gambit and then smiled at Kitty and then his sister. "My sister can remain here?"

"She can stay with the younger students," It was Kitty that answered; she turned to smile at Illyana. "She'll be safe here."

Lance looked up from shadowed eyes from his position in the back of the group. He felt resentment swirl inside him as he looked at Colossus' arm wrapped around Kitty's shoulders, and when Kitty's eyes swept out over the students, resting on him for a moment, he looked away quickly.

"I promise to look after her," assured Beast.

"Good," Wolverine cut the conversation. "We have a mission to accomplish. X-Men, move out!"

"Finally," Rogue rolled her eyes, and then hurried back towards the blackbird with the rest of the group, the rest of her family. They were plus one member and she knew that they'd be able to get the Professor and Storm back, they had to.

The X-GAN bracelet clunked against her ankle, reminding her of it's ever vigilante presence.

_**X-_X-_X**_

_**Thanks so much for reading this chapter! We had an important member of the X-Family return, and now we head for D.C., and what will we find there? Who knows.**_

_**Please review and let me know what you think!  
**_

_**-AnimeSiren**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Trapped In a Bottle**

**Chapter Twelve**

_Enjoy_

**X-_X-_X**

"I do not like the feeling of this place, Charles," Ororo broke the silence, staring dissatisfied at the reinforced concrete walls and the titanium table they were seated at.

"Nor do I," Charles agreed, tiredly. They had been in the room for some hours now, and the man that had brought them there had not returned.

"It's beginning to feel like they didn't help us, but made the situation worse," Ororo replied. She adjusted her skirt and looked to the large glass segmented part of the adjacent wall with disdain. Her infinite patience was wearing thin.

The Professor furrowed his eyebrows. He was very close to agreeing again, closer than he'd like to be.

They had come out of their quickly granted congressional hearing to find themselves swept up by a mob. Mutant and human supporters alike sought to tear into one another, and Storm and The Professor had been in the middle of it. It was only due to several members of Congress also being caught up in the swarm that they too had been shielded by Secret Service members, and taken into protective custody.

They had been led to an underground bunker, unaware of where it was at first, until a military commander had met the group and had explained that they were underneath the Potomac river. Initially the compound was for Presidential use only, but the Executive Office had generously extended the compound for the use of the several members of Congress who were targeted by the mob, and inadvertently the Professor and Storm.

However, they had been separated from the rest, had been given accommodations for the night, and that morning when Charles believed they would be brought back above ground since feelings must have been cooled, they had been brought to their current room instead.

"It is nothing more than an interrogation cell," Storm's eyes clouded over in anger and Charles felt waves of frustration roll off her mind.

Charles sighed, "The several men watching us from behind that one-sided glass do nothing to convince us otherwise."

Storm's eyes widened in surprise "They are watching us?"

Charles nodded, running a heavy hand underneath his chin "From the moment we were put here."

"This is outrageous!" Storm stood from her chair; pushing it backwards "We are then being held against our will."

"I'm sure—," the Professor began, however Storm left his side and made her way to the glass, and Charles felt the air temperature in the room drop dangerously.

"You will release us and explain yourselves," Storm spoke clearly to the glass, and after a moment a wind that didn't previously exist began to pick up, sending her hair in disarray. "Or we will leave by our own means. You cannot seek to contain a storm."

The Professor narrowed his eyes; there was movement behind the glass. However the minds that he could sense were only the ones of those that were recording and voice documenting the interrogation room. Those that seemed to be in charge had a curiously strong mental block on each of their minds, and Charles was hesitant to use force to gain his answers.

X-_X-_X

The view that Rogue saw as she glared out of the Blackbird's fore facing windows, balanced over Logan's shoulder, was tumultuous to say the least. The protests in the nation's capital hadn't lessened over the days, and Rogue doubted that she saw any of the actual city below, everywhere she looked there were only masses of bodies.

They were flying below cloud cover, but it was at the risk of violating National Security. They had scant moments before any sort of flight security force realized that the Blackbird was a plane that was evading their radar. They would surely mount an offensive against the Blackbird, and its violation of national air space.

"Where in sane hell are we gonna' land?" Rogue asked aloud, dubiously eyeing the streets, promenades, and the Washington Mall full of people before them.

Logan was glaring down at the same image she was, preparing the Blackbird for landing by drawing back speed and adjusting wing angles. It certainly appeared that he thought they were landing. Rogue had no idea how though, unless they wanted to crush a few people in the process and start another national incident.

"We got a place," growled out Wolverine. He replaced his hands on the steering gears, and set his mouth in a grim line.

"Where?" Rogue responded, incredulous. It wouldn't pay for the man to finally go around the bend in this situation of all times.

"Let's just say," he replied, guiding the plane right "That you're going to get an up close look at the Washington monument."

Everyone had been listening to the Wolverine's words, anyone that could hear him at least, and in response to his last statement there wasn't just one shocked 'What?' exclaimed.

"You can't mean the reflection pool?" demanded Kitty, her voice on the soprano side with shock.

"Get back to your seat, stripes," Logan said, then louder to the rest "We're gonna' be dropping fast and hard, everyone who's smart brace yourselves."

Rogue took a step back, already having to use the seats to steady herself, and sighed and rolled her eyes "Can't wait."

When she had thrown herself back in her seat and strapped in Gambit leaned over and grinned at her "Wolvie likes t' make things interestin', no?"

Rogue snorted "If this is what you call interesting, swamp rat."

X-_X-_X

"Dan!" Nicholas screamed the name out, attempting to shout over the throng of steadily increasing violent people that had separated him from his brother. "Dan! I can't see you, where are you? Dan? Dan!"

Nicholas cursed and jumped futilely up into the air, expelling a gasping sigh when he landed again with no sight of Dan. He knew it was a bad idea for them to come. What did two country boys from Kentucky know about lobbying in D.C?

They were the only two mutants in their small town, a secret they'd been able to keep for years until a hunting accident. Dan had saved a man's life but it resulted in everyone knowing that the young man that worked at the grocer's store could swing from trees better than Tarzan.

After months of judgment back home Nicholas had let Dan and the threat of this mutant bill convince him to join up with some protestors heading to the nation's capital.

Now look where they were.

Nicholas was half a step from diving into the swell around him when he gave one more attempt "Dan!"

Nicholas felt his first real tendril of panic slip through him a moment before a hand clamped down on his shoulder. It made him jump but when he whirled around it was with relief that he saw Dan's shaggy brunette hair.

"Thank God," breathed out Nicholas.

"You can say that again," Dan was breathing heavy, it seemed like he'd had to fight against the crowd to get back to where they had been.

Nicholas was looking around them with trepidation when Dan grabbed his arm and mumbled "C'mere," pulling him through the bodies. They were moving as one organism now, as if they had an angry tribal beat to shout and push to.

Dan pulled them to the very edge of the protestors, and when Nicholas saw the clear water of the Reflection Pool, complete with the shadow of the Washington Monument, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were no longer in the middle of it.

"What do we do?" Nicholas asked. He briefly reflected that it should be he, as the older brother, that had the plan, but that was for later reflection.

"There's not much we can do, for now," Dan replied, clipped. He was eyeing the crowd wearily.

Nicholas followed his line of sight, from their vantage point they could see another crowd about to mesh violently with their own. "No…" Nicholas spoke, horror leaking from his tone.

"The humans," Dan said grim. "Damn it!"

Nicholas took a step backwards, nearly tripping into the reflection pool, but caught himself just in time to notice a large black jet swoop right over their heads, and right into the reflection pool.

X-_X-_X

When Rogue crashed down the gangplank of the Blackbird she was unsurprised when she realized that she was up to her knees in clear blue water. Staring for a moment at her reflection she shook her head, amused.

"Certainly a way t' make a landin', no?" Gambit's voice breezed past her as the man himself slunk down the gangplank and out into the open.

Rogue didn't have time for a reply before Wolverine was thunderously making his way out of the Blackbird "Alright, no time to waste!" He shouted.

He took a quick observance of the couple hundred faces staring at them from the rim of the pool before looking to where a conflict was taking place at the north end. Even the landing of a jet into a national monument didn't seem to be able to deter the thousand or so brawling bodies.

"Our initiative," Wolverine said to them "Is to rescue the Professor and Storm, but things are worse than they damn well seemed."

"It's not like we can take on an entire riot by, like, ourselves," Kitty replied "What're we supposed to do about this?"

"Why should we have to do anything?" Toad snorted, Pietro nodding beside him.

Wolverine turned quick to face the two diminutive ex-Brotherhood members. "We do it because it's our duty. I see Mystique and her tin can boyfriend didn't teach you punks about duty, did they?"

Toad raised his hands in a placating manner "Alright, alright, yo. Just being a little mutinous, you know it happens to the best of us teens."

Logan turned without another word. It was probably for the better, if he could get his hands around that idiot's neck he wasn't sure he'd be able to take them off again, and he had no time for distractions, or court appeals.

"Scott," Wolverine said "You're going to lead a group around the south end, and come up and around the other side of that melee, then—," Wolverine's speech broke off as a large shadow overtook them.

Wolverine looked up, expecting the weight of the entire U.S. Air Force to be breathing down their necks, but instead found a familiar friend looking worriedly down at them, and landing fast.

"Warren!" Rogue exclaimed in surprise. The man landed amongst them, easily keeping his large alabaster wings from dipping into the water. Gambit simply raised an eyebrow at the man.

"I see new faces," Warren said first, peering around at the Brotherhood members scattered amongst the congregated X-Men.

"More importantly," Logan said, cutting him off "What're you doing here?"

Warren straightened, and hurried to his point "I've been here since earlier in the week. I was hoping to use some of my father's corporate connections to bend wills concerning the Mutant Bill. I was less than successful when these riots began breaking out in true vigor…"

"Did you see the Professor?" Logan demanded "Or Storm?"

Warren nodded "Both of them. We spoke briefly, and I know what happened to him, it's why I've come to you."

Logan waved a quick, adamantium clawed hand "Well don't just flap your gums, what happened to them?"

"They got caught in a riot right outside of the Capitol," Warren looked around the reflecting pool, and then up into the sky, he was obviously nervous "They got swept out with a group of senators by the Secret Service, they were obviously taken into custody."

Wolverine gritted his teeth. "How do ya' know?" asked Rogue "For sure that they were taken in?"

"Because," began Warren "The entire thing was filmed by a nationally broadcasting news agency, and when the commanding officer in the unit that took them confiscated the film, the SUV that he got back into had a woman with all white hair, and dark skin, it was Storm."

"Fine," Logan growled "We have a goal, now we have to find out where they were taken."

"I wouldn't suggest remaining here," Scott said, more nervous than Warren had been. It looked like a few mutant protestors were climbing into the reflection pool, intent to make their way towards the X-Men.

Wolverine moved fully off the gangplank, shoving Avalanche off it as well on his way down. "Everyone step back."

Wolverine pressed his thumb down on a button of a controller that had been strapped to his wrist, and Rogue immediately raised her arms up in front of her face. The gangplank had receded, and the forward thrusters of the Blackbird were thrumming to life, creating waves around them.

"What in hell are you doing?" shouted Rogue, her voice whipping through the air created by the thrusters.

"Autopilot," Wolverine replied, flashing a quick, animalistic grin "We'll be able to have the Blackbird land wherever we need her once she's back in the air."

"Christ," muttered Rogue. The group, led by Wolverine, began to make their way towards the edge of the pool.

"Didn' know dat de Blackbird had dat," Gambit said from besides her.

Rogue rolled her eyes "Guess it's not unexpected…come on swamp rat, we're fallin' behind."

Logan briefly looked at Warren beside him before shouting back towards the group. "Rogue, Jean, you're with me. The rest of you, I want you to find your way out of this crowd, gather someplace, and damn well stay out of trouble!"

"Logan," Scott jumped forward, a quick growl reminded him of his place "Wolverine then, what do you expect us to do when we come across someone that needs help? We can't ignore all this violence that's going on."

Wolverine turned on a heel "Fine," he said, his eyes wild "All of you do what you can to try to keep the peace here, but all of you had better be gathered someplace within an hour, ready to go, or I'll bury you in the damn danger room."

Jean and Rogue hurried forward, the latter throwing a quick look over her shoulder to Gambit "Stay outta' trouble!"

"Never," Gambit grinned back. When Rogue turned back forward, and rushed into the crowd with Jean and Wolverine, he got his Bo staff out and, with the rest, faced the rioting crowd around them.

"What are you planning on?" Rogue pushed a body away from her and the three struggled to maintain distance with one another, heading towards downtown.

"All them high rankers are going to be driving motorcades out of here to their posh little Georgetown townhouses," Wolverine replied "We're going to catch one."

"Why?" demanded Rogue, her southern drawl a growl as she became frustrated.

"Because we're going to fine us a secret serviceman, and _he's_ going to find us the Professor and Storm."

Rogue rolled her eyes "Great."

X-_X-_X

"That still does not explain, General, why we have to remain here," Storm spoke clipped; her words steady and toned with seriousness.

The Professor and she were still seated within the interrogation room. The man in front of them, a General McAllister, had appeared before them ten minutes ago, and the only clear message they'd seemed to glean from him was that for some reason they were not going to be released.

"Forgive me, General," Charles said suddenly. It was the only thing that he had spoken to the man since he had entered. Storm looked over at him, surprised at his interjection. "But, I have a question for you."

The general nodded his head, the men on either side of him rousing to attention. "Go ahead, Mr. Xavier."

"You have strong mental blocks," The Professor said simply "I noticed it earlier as well. You have obviously been trained by a telepath."

Storm turned to stare at the general; if it were true then their current situation could have many connotations.

The general gave a start, slapped a hand down on the table and then gave the Professor a wide eyed stare "How the hell can you even know that."

Storm pursed her lips, so the camouflaged man was admitting it in his surprise.

The Professor bowed his head for a moment, gesturing towards the general "Forgive me for startling you," he said "However I believe it's become a widely known fact that I myself am a telepath."

The Professor's statement sought to remind Storm of all sorts of things. The fact that the Professor's own mutant abilities had come under inspection and question had been a concern. When Charles had been able to lobby for mutant rights as a human it had been different, but in the months that he'd had to lobby as just another mutant they had met their share of resistance.

"A telepath can sense that kind of thing?" the general asked, his eyes sharpened.

Charles paused. He was willing to educate any person about the truths behind the fears of mutant abilities, however this general appeared shrewd. It wouldn't do well to continue their current train of conversation, especially since Charles had already received an answer.

The Professor smiled faintly "No need to worry general, as I myself never use my abilities without the express permission of the individual."

Storm hurried to continue deflection away from questions about the Professor's abilities. "When will we be released?"

The general turned his eyes back to storm but not without first pursing his lips and eyeing the Professor. "As I have mentioned before, Ms. Munroe we have—," he paused as the sound of grating metal gave way and another man entered the room, hurrying over to salute the general and then bend down to whisper into his ear.

The general nodded gravely before turning to both the messenger and the two men that had been flanking him throughout their conversation "You three are dismissed."

"Yes, sir!"

By the time the general had stood another man, broad shoulders and impeccable suit wearing, had walked through the door. The general moved to the side of his chair and stood at attention. "Mr. Secretary, please, have a seat."

"Thank you, Frank," Storm and The Professor watched with weary eyes as the man sat in front on them, not even caring to look their way until he had straightened his suit lapels and lain his hands flat on the steel table.

"Charles Xavier, Ororo Munroe," he said by way of greeting "I am the Secretary of Defense for the United States of America."

Charles nodded gravely, he had recognized the man. Ororo furrowed her brow and pursed her lips to keep her shock under wraps. The more she looked at the man the more she fought down a swell of anxiety as well; his visit could mean even more tumultuous times ahead for them.

"Mr. Secretary," Charles nodded respectfully "I believe it's come to be your duty to explain to us why we are still here after all this time, the general seemed not to have an appropriate response to our question."

The Defense Secretary grinned, baring a row of straight and perfectly even white teeth "I can see why you've concerned yourself in politics, Mr. Xavier."

"Don't be mistaken," Charles replied genial as always but with a touch of defensiveness "I have concerned myself in the affairs of our great nation because there are few that are willing to, for the need that we face in these times."

"Yes," The Defense Secretary sat back in his chair, "I can definitely see why you've done so well, lobbying for mutants."

"If you would answer our question," barked Ororo, more in defense of Charles than the true impatience that bled from her speech.

The interjection seemed to aggravate the Secretary, and he cleared his throat before continuing in a much firmer, less polite, tone. "You are here because you need to be."

After the Secretary didn't seem to elaborate any further Charles spoke "I'm certain that you are of course going to explain what you mean by that."

The Secretary grinned, smug around the edges "You, Charles Xavier, are the face of Mutant Rights Activism everywhere, and have been for quite some time."

"I have worked hard for the equality of people who have been equal in everything but name," The Professor replied to the man, conceding his point and winning another.

"You are the face of Mutantkind," the Secretary spread his arms wide, apparently trying to smile disarmingly. He failed to do so.

The Professor put a hand to his chin, his eyes weary on the Defense Secretary.

The DS looked from Ororo to Charles, and then dropped his hands…and his smile.

"I won't beat around the bush, Mr. Xavier," The Secretary's eyes narrowed, it was an unkind man that now faced them. "It is too dangerous for you to be running around free."

Charles arm dropped "In what way?" he demanded.

"Think about it," The Secretary leaned forward "Think about if something were to happen to you, if you were to be injured or assassinated by fanatics, the uproar from the mutant community would be tremendous, there'd be no peace."

"Forgive me for sounding arrogant," The Professor parried "But I have no intention of dying before I see my goals accomplished."

"Your goals are another thing!" The Secretary continued, ignoring Charles' statement "How can we be certain of _you_, Xavier? How can we be certain that _your_ goals won't change?"

There was silence.

"You are insinuating," Charles clarified "That you fear that _I_ will change my goals for the mutant community, perhaps change them towards mutant superiority instead of equality."

The Defense Secretary neither confirmed nor denied him "You're best friend and comrade for quite some time was Eric Lensherr."

It was a statement. However it was also an accusation.

"Eric Lensherr is dead," The Professor rebutted.

The Secretary's lip curled "You, and your friend here, are to be taken into custody. It is a risk of national security that I am not willing to take."

Storm stood immediately. "You will not!"

"I will," he replied calmly.

Storm took up a defensive stance beside the Professor, her eyes bleeding white. "You will not!" she roared.

The Secretary of Defense stood, and from behind him General McAllister moved forward, two flexicuffs held firm in his grasp. However, Storm refused to be captured, and she'd fight until all of her life breath was extinguished before she'd let the Professor be taken.

Bereft of the sky, far underground as she was, her powers were strained, however she still managed to summon a whirlwind of air and when the door to the room sought to crash open, with the General's men, she sent General tumbling back into it, and with the force of her wind kept the door closed, and the general pinned.

A round of laughter began to echo through the deep throngs of her whirlwind though. It was deep, it was smug, and after a moment both of the mutants realized it was the Secretary of Defense's.

He was standing across from the table, his hands dug into his pockets, his perfectly cut hair flying about him, but he was laughing. "You're everything I knew you to be, Xavier!"

The Professor was saved from the situation's repercussions for a moment by a stirring on the edge of his mind. It was a consciousness that he knew very well, calling to him, or searching for him.

"Storm!" he said, looking up at her "Jean is here!"

Storm didn't cease her wind, or change in any tangible way, but then Charles hadn't expected her to. Ororo was protecting them, on an almost instinctual level. Charles closed his eyes and concentrated.

He felt the consciousness of Jean Gray getting closer every second.

"My X-Men have arrived!"

**X-_X-_X**

_**Thanks for reading! As always, a many thanks to those that have reviewed thus far. This story's been ongoing for many years; however 2011 will be its last year. I had hoped to have it finished for its anniversary in November, but it will probably see March at this point.**_

_**The final conflict is reaching its climax!**_

_**AnimeSiren**_


End file.
